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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    Peron’s account now follows. “ In looking in the direction from which cries had proceeded, we perceived two savages, who ran along the shore, both making great gestures of surprise and admiration. . . . We answered by some shouts, and tried to approach the bank; but instead of waiting for us, they dived into the forest and disappeared. In continuing our journey, we arrived at a small creek, at the end of which there was a pretty valley. We had hardly set foot ashore before two aborigines showed themselves at the top of a hillock. At the signs of friendship we made them, one of them threw himself, rather than descended from the rock. His physiognomy had nothing wild or harsh about it, his air expressed at once goodwill and surprise. That which seemed to strike him was the whiteness of our skin : wishing, no doubt, to assure himself that this colour was the same on the whole of the body, he opened suc- cessively our waistcoats and shirts ; and his astonishment manifested itself by great cries of surprise, and, above all, by extremely rapid stampings of the foot. Our long boat, however, appeared to occupy him even more than our persons; and after having examined us for some moments, he jumped into this vessel. There, without in the least troubling himself about the presence of the sailors, he appeared as if absorbed in his new examination; the thickness of the ribs and timbers, the solidity of its construction, its rudder, its oars, its masts, its sails; he observed every- thing with that silence and deep attention which are the least doubtful signs of interest and profound admiration. Just then, one of the oarsmen wishing, doubtless, to add to his surprise, gave him a glass bottle full of arrack, which formed part of the rations of the crew. The lustre of the glass made the savage utter a cry of astonishment, he took the bottle and examined it for a few moments; but his curiosity was soon brought back to the boat, he threw the bottle into the sea, and then returned to his former examination. Neither the cries of the sailor for the loss of his bottle of arrack, nor the haste of one of his comrades to jump into the water to save it, appeared to affeCt him. He attempted several times to push out the long boat; but the cable which held it fast rendering his efforts useless, he was forced to abandon them, and to return to us, after having given us the most striking example we had ever seen of attention and reflection among savage peoples. Arrived at the top of the hillock, we found the second aborigine; he was an old man, about fifty years of age; his physiognomy, like that of the young man, was open and frank; and despite some undoubted signs of agitation and fear, one could easily distinguish candour and good nature. This old man, having examined us both with as much surprise and satisfaction as the first one, and having verified, as he did, the colour of our chests by opening our waistcoats and shirts, he made a sign to two women, who held off, to approach; they hesitated for a few moments, after which the elder one came to us, followed by the younger more timid and troubled one. The former appeared, like the old man, good and well disposed. The young woman had an interesting physiognomy. Her eyes had expression and something spirituel [in them] which sur- prised us, and which we have never found since in any other woman