a complete account of the settlement-第39章

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Hitherto　I　have　spoken　only　of　the　large；　or　grey　kangaroo；　to　which　the　natives　give　the　name　of　'patagaran'。*　　But　there　are　（besides　the　kangaroo…rat）　two　other　sorts。　　One　of　them　we　called　the　red　kangaroo；　from　the　colour　of　its　fur；　which　is　like　that　of　a　hare；　and　sometimes　is　mingled　with　a　large　portion　of　black：　　the　natives　call　it　'bagaray'。　　It　rarely　attains　to　more　than　forty　pounds　weight。　The　third　sort　is　very　rare；　and　in　the　formation　of　its　head　resembles　the　opossum。　　The　kangaroo…rat　is　a　small　animal；　never　reaching；　at　its　utmost　growth；　more　than　fourteen　or　fifteen　pounds；　and　its　usual　size　is　not　above　seven　or　eight　pounds。　　It　joins　to　the　head　and　bristles　of　a　rat　the　leading　distinctions　of　a　kangaroo；　by　running　when　pursued　on　its　hind　legs　only；　and　the　female　having　a　pouch。　Unlike　the　kangaroo；　who　appears　to　have　no　fixed　place　of　residence；　this　little　animal　constructs　for　itself　a　nest　of　grass；　on　the　ground；　of　a　circular　figure；　about　ten　inches　in　diameter；　with　a　hole　on　one　side　for　the　creature　to　enter　at；　the　inside　being　lined　with　a　finer　sort　of　grass；　very　soft　and　downy。　　But　its　manner　of　carrying　the　materials　with　which　it　builds　the　nest　is　the　greatest　curiosity：　　by　entwining　its　tail　（which；　like　that　of　all　the　kangaroo　tribe；　is　long；　flexible　and　muscular）　around　whatever　it　wants　to　remove；　and　thus　dragging　along　the　load　behind　it。　　This　animal　is　good　to　eat；　but　whether　it　be　more　prolific　at　a　birth　than　the　kangaroo；　I　know　not。

＇*kangaroo　was　a　name　unknown　to　them　for　any　animal；　until　we　introduced　it。　When　I　showed　Colbee　the　cows　brought　out　in　the　Gorgon；　he　asked　me　if　they　were　kangaroos。＇

The　Indians　sometimes　kill　the　kangaroo；　but　their　greatest　destroyer　is　the　wild　dog；*　who　feeds　on　them。　　Immediately　on　hearing　or　seeing　this　formidable　enemy；　the　kangaroo　flies　to　the　thickest　cover；　in　which；　if　he　can　involve　himself；　he　generally　escapes。　　In　running　to　the　cover；　they　always；　if　possible；　keep　in　paths　of　their　own　forming；　to　avoid　the　high　grass　and　stumps　of　trees　which　might　be　sticking　up　among　it　to　wound　them　and　impede　their　course。

＇*I　once　found　in　the　woods　the　greatest　part　of　a　kangaroo　just　killed　by　the　dogs；　which　afforded　to　three　of　us　a　most　welcome　repast。　Marks　of　its　turns　and　struggles　on　the　ground　were　very　visible。　This　happened　in　the　evening；　and　the　dogs　probably　had　seen　us　approach　and　had　run　away。　　At　daylight　next　morning　they　saluted　us　with　most　dreadful　howling　for　the　loss　of　their　prey。＇

Our　methods　of　killing　them　were　but　two；　either　we　shot　them；　or　hunted　them　with　greyhounds。　　We　were　never　able　to　ensnare　them。　　Those　sportsmen　who　relied　on　the　gun　seldom　met　with　success；　unless　they　slept　near　covers；　into　which　the　kangaroos　were　wont　to　retire　at　night；　and　watched　with　great　caution　and　vigilance　when　the　game；　in　the　morning；　sallied　forth　to　feed。　　They　were；　however；　sometimes　stolen　in　upon　in　the　day…time　and　that　fascination　of　the　eye；　which　has　been　by　some　authors　so　much　insisted　upon；　so　far　acts　on　the　kangaroo　that　if　he　fixes　his　eye　upon　any　one；　and　no　other　object　move　at　the　same　time；　he　will　often　continue　motionless；　in　stupid　gaze；　while　the　sportsman　advances　with　measured　step；　towards　him；　until　within　reach　of　his　gun。　The　greyhounds　for　a　long　time　were　incapable　of　taking　them；　but　with　a　brace　of　dogs；　if　not　near　cover　a　kangaroo　almost　always　falls；　since　the　greyhounds　have　acquired　by　practice　the　proper　method　of　fastening　upon　them。　Nevertheless　the　dogs　are　often　miserably　torn　by　them。　　The　rough　wiry　greyhound　suffers　least　in　the　conflict；　and　is　most　prized　by　the　hunters。

Other　quadrupeds；　besides　the　wild　dog；　consist　only　of　the　flying　squirrel；　of　three　kinds　of　opossums　and　some　minute　animals；　usually　marked　by　the　distinction　which　so　peculiarly　characterizes　the　opossum　tribe。　The　rats；　soon　after　our　landing；　became　not　only　numerous　but　formidable；　from　the　destruction　they　occasioned　in　the　stores。　　Latterly　they　had　almost　disappeared；　though　to　account　for　their　absence　were　not　easy。　The　first　time　Colbee　saw　a　monkey；　he　called　'wurra'　（a　rat）；　but　on　examining　its　paws　he　exclaimed　with　astonishment　and　affright；　'mulla'　（a　man）。

At　the　head　of　the　birds　the　cassowary　or　emu；　stands　conspicuous。　The　print　of　it　which　has　already　been　given　to　the　public　is　so　accurate　for　the　most　part；　that　it　would　be　malignant　criticism　in　a　work　of　this　kind　to　point　out　a　few　trifling　defects。

Here　again　naturalists　must　look　forward　to　that　information　which　longer　and　more　intimate　knowledge　of　the　feathered　tribe　than　I　can　supply；　shall　appear。　　I　have　nevertheless　had　the　good　fortune　to　see　what　was　never　seen　but　once；　in　the　country　I　am　describing；　by　Europeans…　…a　hatch；　or　flock；　of　young　cassowaries　with　the　old　bird。　　I　counted　ten；　but　others　said　there　were　twelve。　　We　came　suddenly　upon　them；　and　they　ran　up　a　hill　exactly　like　a　flock　of　turkeys；　but　so　fast　that　we　could　not　get　a　shot　at　them。　　The　largest　cassowary　ever　killed　in　the　settlement；　weighed　ninety…four　pounds。　　Three　young　ones；　which　had　been　by　accident　separated　from　the　dam；　were　once　taken　and　presented　to　the　governor。　　They　were　not　larger　than　so　many　pullets；　although　at　first　sight　they　appeared　to　be　so　from　the　length　of　their　necks　and　legs。　　They　were　very　beautifully　striped；　and　from　their　tender　state　were　judged　to　be　not　more　than　three　or　four　days　old。　　They　lived　only　a　few　days。

A　single　egg；　the　production　of　a　cassowary；　was　picked　up　in　a　desert　place；　dropped　on　the　sand；　without　covering　or　protection　of　any　kind。　Its　form　was　nearly　a　perfect　ellipsis；　and　the　colour　of　the　shell　a　dark　green；　full　of　little　indents　on　its　surface。　　It　measured　eleven　inches　and　a　half　in　circumference；　five　inches　and　a　quarter　in　height；　and　weighed　a　pound　and　a　quarter。　　Afterwards　we　had　the　good　fortune　to　take　a　nest。　　It　was　found　by　a　soldier　in　a　sequestered　solitary　situation；　made　in　a　patch　of　lofty　fern　about　three　feet　in　diameter；　rather　of　an　oblong　shape　and　composed　of　dry　leaves　and　tops　of　fern　stalks；　very　inartificially　put　together。　　The　hollow　in　which　lay　the　eggs；　twelve　in　number；　seemed　made　solely　by　the　pressure　of　the　bird。　The　eggs　were　regularly　placed　in　the　following　position。


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The　soldier；　instead　of　greedily　plundering　his　prize；　communicated　the　discovery　to　an　officer；　who　immediately　set　out　for　the　spot。　When　they　had　arrived　there　they　continued　for　a　long　time　to　search　in　vain　for　their　object；　and　the　soldier　was　just　about　to　be　stigmatized　with　ignorance；　credulity　or　imposture；　when　suddenly　up　started　the　old　bird　and　the　treasure　was　found　at　their　feet。

The　food　of　the　cassowary　is　either　grass；　or　a　yellow　bell…flower　growing　in　the　swamps。　　It　deserves　remark；　that　the　natives　deny　the　cassowary　to　be　a　bird；　because　it　does　not　fly。

Of　other　birds　the　varieties　are　very　numerous。　　Of　the　parrot　tribe　alone　I　could；　while　I　am　writing；　count　up　from　memory　fourteen　different　sorts。　Hawks　are　very　numerous；　so　are　quails。　　A　single　snipe　has　been　shot。　Ducks；　geese　and　other　aquatic　birds　are　often　seen　in　large　flocks；　but　are　universally　so　shy；　that　it　is　found　difficult　to　shoot　them。　Some　of　the　smaller　birds　are　very　beautiful；　but　they　are　not　remarkable　for　either　sweetness；　or　variety　of　notes。　　To　one　of　them；　not　bigger　than　a　tomtit；　we　have　given　the　name　of　coach…whip；　from　its　note　exactly　resembling　the　smack　of　a　whip。　　The　country；　I　am　of　opinion；　would　abound　with　birds　did　not　the　natives；　by　perpetually　setting　fire　to　the　grass　and　bushes；　destroy　the　greater　part　of　the　nests；　a　cause　which　also　contributes　to　render　small　quadrupeds　scarce。　　They　are　besides　ravenously　fond　of　eggs　and　eat　them　wherever　they　find　them。　　They　call　the　roe　of　a　fish　and　a　bird's　egg　by　one　name。

So　much　has　been　said　of　the　abundance　in　which　fish　are　found　in　the　harbours　of　New　South　Wales　that　it　looks　like　detraction　to　oppose　a　contradiction。　Some　share　of　knowledge　may；　however；　be　s