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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    decorate them with the ornaments which we had intended for themselves. I ought not to omit a waggish trick which a young savage played one of our people. The sailor had laid down a bag of shell fish at the foot of a rock : the youth slily removed it to another place ; and let him search a long while for it in vain ; at length he replaced it where the sailor had placed it, and was highly diverted at the trick he had played him. This numerous party was transported with admiration, when they saw the effeifts of gunpowder thrown on the burning coals. They all entreated us to let them have the pleasure of seeing it several times. Not being able to persuade themselves that we had none but men among 11s, they long believed, notwithstanding all we could say, that the youngest of us were women. Their curiosity on this head carried them further than we should have expected, for they were not to be convinced fill they had assured them- selves of the fact. When we re-embarked these good people followed us with their eyes for some time, before they left the shore, and then they disappeared in the -wood. Their way brought them at times to the shore again, of which we were immediately informed by the cries of joy with which they made the air resound. These testimonies of pleasure did not cease till we lost sight of them. . . . We saw with pleasure, that the savages, who, at our last interview [the day before] had promised to come near our anchoring place within two days, had kept their word. We perceived a fire not far from our watering place. A great number of us repaired immediately to the place of rendezvous. They soon quitted their fire in order to come still nearer to us. We went to meet them ; and when we were near them, they stopped, appearing well pleased at seeing us come ashore. Being invited by some of our crew to dance in a ring with them (they) imitated all their movements tolerably well. We made them presents of a great number of things, which they let us hang round their necks with strings, and soon they were almost covered with them, apparently to their great satisfaction ; but they gave us nothing, for they had brought nothing with them. A native, to whom we had just given a hatchet, displayed great dexterity at striking several times following in the same place, thus attempting to imitate one of our sailors who had cut down a tree. We showed him that he must strike in different places, so as to cut a notch, which he did immediately, and was transported with joy when the tree was felled by his strokes. They were astonished at the quickness with which we sawed the trunk in two ; and we made them a present of some hand-saws, which they used with great readiness, as soon as we had shown them the way. These savages were much surprised at seeing 11s kindle the spongy bark of the Eucalyptus resinifera in the focus of a burning-glass. He, who appeared the most intelligent among them, was desirous of trying the effects himself, threw the converging rays of the sun upon his thigh by its means ; but the pain he felt took from him all inclination to repeat the experiment. We let one of the natives see our ships through a good perspective glass, and he soon yielded to our solicitations to go on board the ‘ Recherche.’ He went up the side with a confident air, and examined the inside of the ship with much attention. His looks were then directed chiefly to such objects as might serve for food. Led by the similitude in shape between two black swans on Cape Diemen and the Geese of Guinea,