Blackfellows are numerous; some of them are employed to perform menial duties at the houses in the township. Lubras make at the most two garments (one covering the upper, the other the lower parts of the body) suffice for a complete costume. There are always several wurlies and camps of blacks in the vicinity. The employed blacks share their wages, tobacco, old clothes, and tucker with the unemployed; the latter also providing further for themselves as best they can.
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Caterpillars were plentiful. The blacks gather up tins full, and, roasting them, evolve a very succulent dish. A small nut-like root, found wherever grass was growing, was also greatly sought after. As they walk along the lubras are continually stooping, or darting ahead or aside to pick up something—lizards, caterpillars, seeds, roots, eatables of various kinds, which they secrete or stow away in pouches, pockets, or tin cans. The male nigger prefers to stay at home and keep the fire alight.
From Oodnadatta northwards niggers are to be seen wherever white men are, as well as at intermediate places.
The clothes worn by them become fewer by degrees if not beautifully less the farther inland one proceeds.
I am told that the subject of their conversation, and that which causes most of the laughter so common among them, is generally of a filthy character and with an immoral tendency. One would fancy the poor animals could find but little to laugh about in their miserable nomadic lives; but they are so easily made to giggle that one is driven to the conclusion that their natural humour is of the most elementary type.
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A council of the dusky ones called here to adjudicate upon my chances of getting through to Darwin arrived at the following decision:—"Wild blackfellow big one frightened. Him think it debble-debble an' run away all right. One time 'nother one think it (the bicycle) debble-debble, and throw it spear."
I had a look at some spears later on, and perceived how easily one of them might be so driven in as to puncture a fellow's tyre.