δίκην νομίζοντες οὔτε νόμῳ οὐδενὶ χρεόμενοι· νομάδες δὲ εἴσιν.

Herodotus, iv. 106.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Portrait of Author in Australian Dress[Frontispiece]
PAGE
Black Swan[1]
Flinders Street, Adelaide[3]
View near Adelaide[4]
The Library, Melbourne[6]
The Governor’s House, Melbourne[7]
Native Bear with its Young[10]
Hunting the OpossumTo face page [11]
Tree-Ferns in Victoria[11]
Sydney Harbour[13]
The Blue Mountains[15]
The Parliament House, Brisbane[17]
Frogs (Hyla cærulea) entering a Water-Jar[18]
Gracemere Station[20]
The Main Building, Gracemere Station[21]
In the Neighbourhood of RockhamptonTo face page [24]
Laughing Jackass (Dacelo gigas)[26]
Vine-Scrub near GracemereTo face page [27]
True Australian SceneryTo face page [29]
A Wool-Waggon[31]
Head of “More Pork” (Podargus cuvierii)[32]
A Kangaroo HuntTo face page [34]
Spider paralysed by a Hornet[38]
Queensland Native Mounted Police[46]
Flint Knife from Georgina River with its Sheath[48]
Pouch for the carrying of Pituri[49]
Boomerangs from Queensland[51]
Stock-man’s Whip[53]
Rest under a Bottle-Tree (Sterculia)[55]
Bushmen[58]
A Squatter’s Homestead[59]
Elephant Sugar-Cane, Mackay[63]
My Gordon Setter pointing a Black SnakeTo face page [64]
A Native Man from Central Queensland, near Rockhampton[68]
A Native Woman from Central Queensland, near Rockhampton[69]
Nolla-Nollas[73]
Peculiar Position of Natives when resting[77]
Nelly in the KitchenTo face page [81]
Jacky, a “civilised” Black-Fellow[83]
Climbing with the aid of KāminTo face page [89]
Wallaby HuntTo face page [92]
Wallaby Net from Herbert River[94]
The Screw-Palm (Pandanus)[95]
Young Cassowary[98]
Palm Forest in Northern Queensland[103]
A Woman from Northern Queensland, near Townsville[107]
My CampTo face page [110]
Wooden Shields from Northern Queensland[120]
Fillet or Brow-Band from Northern Queensland[121]
A Warrior in great Excitement just before Borboby commencesTo face page [122]
A BorbobyTo face page [124]
Old Women protecting a fallen Warrior[125]
A Woman from Maryborough, Central QueenslandTo face page [129]
A young Girl from Maryborough, Central QueenslandTo face page [130]
An old Man from Herbert River[132]
A Group of Natives from Herbert River[133]
A young Boy from Herbert River, showing Ornamental Scars[135]
Small Basket carried about the Neck, Herbert River[136]
Making Fire[141]
Jungle-Hen (Megapodius tumulus)[149]
Toollah (Pseudochirus archeri)—Coloured plateTo face page [152]
Edible Beetle (Eurynassa australis)[154]
Larva of Same[154]
Natives from Herbert RiverTo face page [163]
Rifle-Bird (Ptiloris victoriæ)[171]
Mongan (Pseudochirus herbertensis)—Coloured plateTo face page [173]
Yarri (Dasyurus maculatus)[174]
Dingo[179]
Start for an ExpeditionTo face page [188]
Basket from North Queensland[190]
A Basket made of soft Materials (grass) from Herbert River[194]
Basket from Herbert River, painted with Stripes and Dots of Human Blood[195]
Yabby (Pseudochirus lemuroides)—Coloured plateTo face page [197]
Yellow Necklace worn by the Blacks as an Emblem of Mourning[203]
Cicada aurora[222]
Boongary (Dendrolagus lumholtzii)—Coloured plateTo face page [226]
All the Dogs were producedTo face page [229]
Kélanmi[233]
A Tuft of Talegalla Feathers[237]
A Shell used as an Ornament[237]
Dance of the NativesTo face page [238]
Striped-faced pouched Mouse (Sminthopsis virginiæ)[252]
Jimmy[255]
A Male Cranium from Rockhampton, Central Queensland, seen from Five Sides[259]
Dalrymple CreekTo face page [261]
An old Man from Townsville, Northern Queensland[263]
Natives on Herbert River[269]
Burial in Northern Queensland[275]
A large Basket from Northern Queensland for carrying Children[276]
Hunting the Python[293]
Snake Feast in my CampTo face page [298]
A Message Stick from Central Queensland[304]
Reverse Side of the Same[304]
Message Stick, with Interpretation of Inscription[304]
The Freezing Establishment, Lakes Creek, near Rockhampton[314]
A wire Harpoon Point[317]
A wooden Plug[317]
A wooden Harpoon Point[317]
The Dugong, or Australian Sea-Cow (Halicore dugong)[319]
Near the Coast of Central Queensland. Jabiru in the foregroundTo face page [323]
Mount Morgan Gold MineTo face page [324]
Nephrurus asper[325]
Natives from the Vicinity of Rockhampton[330]
Brow-Band from Central Queensland[331]
Opossum Thread[332]
Apron made from Opossum Yarn[332]
Shields from Central Queensland[333]
Wooden Sword from Central Queensland[334]
Bendi from Coomooboolaroo[334]
Crystalline Axe from Peak Downs in Central Queensland[335]
A Spear from the Coast of Central Queensland[335]
“King Billy of Gracemere” with his “Gin” (wife)[337]
Civilised Girls from the Vicinity of Townsville[341]
“The lonely old People,” Natives from the Neighbourhood of Townsville[344]
Native Police dispersing the BlacksTo face page [348]
Cook’s Monument in Sydney[356]
A large Fossil Sea-Shell from Western Queensland (Inoceramus maximus)[367]
Leaves, Flowers, and Fruit of Eucalyptus amygdalina[370]
An Australian Spruce (Araucaria bidwillii)[372]
The Tea-tree (Melaleuca Leucadendron)[373]
Chlamydosaurus kingii[376]
Wild Geese from North Queensland (Anseranas melanoleuca)To face page [383]
Egg of Daphnia lumholtzii[386]
Daphnia lumholtzii[386]
Cyclestheria hislopi[387]
Shell of a Cyclestheria hislopi[388]
Map of Australia[At end]
Map to illustrate the Author’s Travels in Queensland„

BLACK SWAN.

CHAPTER I

Introductory—Voyage to Australia—Arrival at Adelaide—Description of the city—Melbourne, the Queen of the South—Working men—The highest trees in the world—Two of the most common mammals in Australia.

On May 24, 1880, I went on board the barque Einar Tambarskjelver bound from Snar Island near Christiania to Port Adelaide with a cargo of planed lumber. I carried with me a hunter’s outfit, guns, ammunition, and other articles necessary for the chase, furnished me by the University of Norway, as well as some northern bird skins in order to inaugurate exchange with Australian museums. Sailing in the north-east trade-winds, a sunset in the tropics, or a mild starlit night on the ocean with a blazing phosphorescent sea, do not fail to make a strong impression. Then passing the pacific belt of the ocean, where a dead calm is suddenly interrupted by the most violent storm, you soon reach, by the aid of the south-east trades, the region of the westerly winds. The Southern Cross and the cloud of Magellan, the gigantic sperm-whale, whose huge head now and then appeared above the surface of the water, and the albatross, whose glorious flight we never ceased to admire, heralded our arrival within the limits of the Southern Ocean. Cape-doves, albatrosses, and gulls accompanied us for weeks together. The passage had, however, at times its dark sides. On August 17, at six o’clock in the morning, we were overtaken by a most violent gale. All the sails, except the close-reefed topsails and foresail, were taken in. We shipped many seas. The stairs to the quarter-deck were crushed; one wave broke through two doors in the companion-way to the steerage, another set all the water-casks afloat in the maddest confusion, a third filled the galley, so that the cook found himself waist-deep in water. The fire was extinguished, and the food was mixed with the salt water. Several times the seas broke through our main cabin door, filling my cabin with water, making boots, socks, books, and other articles swim about in all directions.

On a long journey one gets tired of the sea, this “desert of water,” as the Arab calls it—and we long to set foot again on terra firma. According to the calculations of the captain we were fifty geographical miles from the coast of Australia, when one morning we perceived for the first time the smell of land, in this instance a peculiarly bitter but mildly aromatic odour, as of fragrant resin. This fragrance, doubtless, came from the acacias, which at this time were in full bloom. For by the aid of the wind these trees, particularly Acacia fragrans, diffuse the fragrance of their flowers to a great distance, and this morning there was blowing a fresh, damp breeze directly from the land.