Moore describes the women in West Australia as being almost the slaves of their husbands. They have to attend upon the men and to carry all their property. They construct the hut, kindle the fire, and have to provide all the vegetable food.[905] The digging of the yams is a very laborious task.[906] In return they often do not get even their share of game.[907] [905] _Loc. cit._, p. 80. [906] _Ibid._, p. 74. [907] _Ibid._, p. 80. John Forrest writes in his account: "The women are nearly slaves, having to do most of the hard work, such as making huts, carrying wood, and also carrying all the baggage, which includes many weapons, grease, 'wilgie,' and a host of articles, wooden dishes, etc., besides often a child. The man does not generally carry much except his spears, etc."[908] [908] _Loc. cit._, p. 319. Among some of the West Australian blacks, a female, before she is married, has under certain circumstances to provide "individuals of a certain degree of relationship to herself with a certain amount of vegetable food."[909] After her marriage her husband is entitled "to the chief part of her services. While she has to supply him with unlimited quantities of yams and other roots, he does very little towards providing for her wants, merely giving her the offal of game." The woman is thus the chief caterer of the family. She is "a slave in the strictest sense of the word, being a beast of burden, a provider of food."[910] [909] Murchison District, Oldfield, p. 249. [910] _Ibid._, p. 250. In South-West Australia the woman carries all the domestic implements on her back. "Pendant que la femme chemine avec toute cette charge, l'homme marche devant sa famille, portant seulement ses armes de la main gauche." He looks for animals,[911] the chase is his task.[912] The woman has to light the fire, carry the fire-stick,[913] fetch the water[914]; she has also to construct the hut.[915] [911] Swan District, Salvado, p. 295. [912] _Ibid._, see ch. viii. _passim_. [913] p. 317. [914] _Ibid._, p. 315. [915] _Ibid._, p. 321. We are informed by Browne that all the hard work, the carrying of heavy burdens, camp arrangements, etc., is done by the women among the natives of King George's Sound.[916] [916] _Loc. cit._, p. 450. The economic division of labour, based upon the co-operation of both sexes, is stated by Scott Nind. The women and men go out in search of food, or hunting, in separate parties. The women chiefly collect roots and small animals; men go out hunting. Each sex reserves a part of its share for the family. "The women are very useful for them (their husbands), not only in procuring food, but also in preparing their cloaks, building their huts and other menial offices."[917] [917] _Loc. cit._, pp. 36, 37. Refers to the tribes of King George's Sound.