The Confessions of a BeachcomberBanfield, E. J. (Edmund James)
History
The Confessions of a Beachcomber
Banfield, E. J. (Edmund James)
Dunk Island (Qld.); Natural history -- Australia -- Queensland
you, fight long a camp. Cap'n catch 'em spear longa inside.' Mr Limsee
come down. He say--'Cap'n, my boy, I think you finish now; me very sorry
for you.' Bad place for spear longa side. Hollow inside. Suppose spear
go along a leg and arm, no matter. Suppose go inside, hollow place
inside, you finish quick. Plenty times me bin see 'em man finish that
way. Mr Limsee he very sorry. We catch that boy. Put han'cup behind,
lika that way. My word he carn run away now. Chain alonga leg. Mr Limsee
bi'mby send 'em down Cooktown. That fella no more come back. He go along
Sen'eleena (St Helena penal establishment). Me bin think he bin get two
years. Cap'n he carn stay. Two days that fella dead. He bin good mate,
me sorry. Mr Limsee he very sorry. Good fella longa boy."
Once George illuminated his conversation with an aphorism. Describing a
battle between the Tully River blacks and those of Clump Point, in which
his mate, Tom of Dunk Island (leader of the Clump Point party), had been
severely wounded, he said--"'Nother fella boy from outside, come up
behind Tom. He no look out that way. That boy tchuk 'em boomerang.
Boomerang stick in leg belonga Tom. Tom no feel 'em first time. He stan'
up yet. Bi'mby when want walk about, tumble down. Look out. Hello! see
'em boomerang alonga leg. He no more can walk about."
The boss remarked--"Might be long time, Tom feel 'em leg sore."
George--"Ah! me like see 'em kill alonga head. Finish 'em one time.
Danger nebber dead." Whether George wished to enforce the opinion that
in battle nothing short of death was glorious, or that Tom though
wounded was still valorous and would live to fight again, was not clear,
but "Danger nebber dead," probably represents the only aboriginal
aphorism extant.
George is not the least superstitious. He takes everything for granted.
Rain, in his opinion, comes from a big tank up above somewhere. Asked as
to his belief in the personal "debil-debil," of whom the mainland boys
have such dread that few will stir out after dark, he said with a
guffaw--"Me nebber bin see one yet. Suppose me see 'em, me run 'em!"
George is, therefore, as yet unable to give a description of the fiend;
but from hearsay authority declares that it possesses three eyes, two in
the ordinary position, and one at the back of the head. It is believed
that the third eye insures the "debil-debil" against all possible
surprises, thus preserving the mystery of identity.
Though he has not a shadow of respect for the "debil-debil," George
has a firm faith in the existence in the neighbourhood of Cooktown of a
camp of what he calls "groun' gins." His experience with these
mysterious subterranean sirens he thus describes--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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