The aborigines of Tasmania / by H. Ling Roth ; assisted by Marion E. Butler and Jas. Backhouse Walker ; with a chapter on the osteology by J.G. Garson.

  • Henry Ling Roth
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The aborigines of Tasmania / by H. Ling Roth ; assisted by Marion E. Butler and Jas. Backhouse Walker ; with a chapter on the osteology by J.G. Garson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    on a fishing excursion. . . . Some of the women went into the water among the large sea-tangle, to take crayfish. These women seem quite at home in the water, and frequently immerse their faces to enable them to see objedts at the bottom. When they discover the objecft of their search, they dive, often using the long stems of the kelp to enable them to reach the bottom; these they handle as dexterously in descending as a sailor would a rope in ascending” (Backhouse, p. 168). Walker’s account (p. 170) is very similar to Backhouse’s, but he adds “ they appear to float with their heads in an upright position above water without effort,” and also that “ seizing the crayfish by the back, they ascend promptly to the surface, where they readily disengage them- selves from the kelp and weed, and throw the prey to their companions on shore.” A. O. Cotton says the women swam certainly well at times; in diving for shell-fish and crayfish they were very expert and persevering (communicated to J. B. Walker) [see Swimming]. One of the French explorers saw the wooden chisels being made. “We observed some of the savages employed in cutting little bits of wood in the form of a spatula, and smoothing them with a shell, for the purpose of separating from the rocks limpets or sea-ears, on which they feast ” (La Billardiere, II. ch. x. p. 52). At times fish were speared for sport only, and such pastime is thus described by Lloyd (pp. 50-52) : “ On one of these occasions [corroboreeT . . . the black and white auditory were informed by the head warrior that a ‘ big one fish spear um ’ (fish hunt) would come off on the following morning, . . . not with the object of obtaining food, but merely as a matter of sport. . . . The locality chosen for the sport was called Sweet Water Bay. At high-water its greatest’ depth did not exceed three feet for upwards of one-third of a mile from the shore. Its waters literally teemed with the dangerous ray-fish. The preparation for the onslaught upon the finny monsters commenced by simultaneous entry into the water of the whole assembled tribes, men, women, and children, numbering upwards of 300, who, dividing, entered at two different points, distant from each other about 250 yards, and continued to wade out until they had formed themselves into a half circle ; then, with their long sticks furiously beating the water, accompanied with frantic yells, and other unearthly sounds, they generally succeeded in retaining within the goal numbers of the dreaded fish. The serried cordon having so far completed their work, a few of the most atftive and skilful young savages, each armed with the keen-edged tomahawk and two heavy barbed spears, boldly entered the scene of aiftion. Quickly discovering their devoted prey, they cast the deadly weapon ; the awkward fish, writhing and plunging, darted along the surface of the water; . . . but the firmly-planted spear once grasped by the muscular hand of the excited hunter, the vidtim was soon hauled to the shore and finally despatched. After having satisfied their warrior-propensities by destroying numbers of those dangerous creatures, the hunters would retire to their camp-fires and regale themselves upon the usual coast fare, oysters and steaming opossum.” A. O. Cotton told J. B. Walker that the oborigines speared the sting-ray on the fiats, but he does not know of their ever eating fish. Melville also refers to fish spearing (p. 347).
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