Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
But the mode of tracking a kangaroo until it is wearied out is the one
which beyond all others excites the admiration of the natives; this calls
out every qualification prized by savages: skill in tracking, endurance
of hunger and thirst, unwearied bodily exertion, and lasting
perseverance. To perform this feat a native starts upon the tracks of a
kangaroo, which he follows until he sights it, when it flies timidly
before him; again he pursues the track, and again the animal bounds from
him; and this is repeated until nightfall, when the native lights his
fire and sleeps upon the track; with the first light of day the hunt is
resumed, and towards the close of the second day, or in the course of the
third, the kangaroo falls a victim to its pursuer. None but a skilful
huntsman in the pride of youth and strength can perform this feat, and
one who has frequently practised it always enjoys great renown amongst
his fellows.
COOKING A KANGAROO.
Before they commence cooking the kangaroo an incision is made round the
base of the tail to the bone, and another incision skin deep round the
tip. The skin is then pulled away from the other part with all the sinews
of the tail attached to it, and these are drawn carefully out and at once
rolled round the dowuk, so as to keep them stretched: their future use is
either to sew cloaks and bags, or to make spears.
Two modes of cooking the kangaroo are common; the first is to make an
oven by digging a hole in the sand, in which a fire is lighted; when the
sand is well heated and a large heap of ashes is collected the hole is
scraped out and the kangaroo is placed in it, skin and all; it is then
covered over with ashes, and a slow fire is kept up above it; when
sufficiently baked it is taken out and laid upon its back; the first
incision is made directly down from between the forearms to the bottom of
the abdomen, the intestines are then removed, and the whole of the juice
or gravy is left in the body of the animal. This is carefully taken out
and the body is then cut up and eaten.
The other mode is simply to kill the kangaroo and then to broil the
different portions of it on the fire: certain parts are considered great
delicacies, and these the young men are forbidden to eat; such are the
blood, the entrails, and the marrow. The blood is always carefully
collected in one of the intestines so as to form a long sausage and is
afterwards eaten by the most influential man present.
METHODS OF TAKING AND COOKING FISH.
It will be seen from the foregoing list that the smaller sorts of fish
eaten by the natives are very numerous: there are however several kinds
which from superstitious prejudices they will not touch; amongst these
are the Bamba, or stingray. I should here observe that these prejudices
are local, and I have seen them reject at one portion of the continent
articles of food which at a distant part they will eat readily.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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