Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/166

 and emu, they sometimes try to creep up to them; on these occasions they carry a bough, which they hold in front; they, advance when the animal is not looking at them, and remain perfectly motionless when he is. In this way they get close enough to throw their spears, although the kangaroo is one of the most timid and watchful creatures in the world. At other times, when the tribe is mustered in large force, or strengthened by the junction of others, they have a grand hunting match; they then surround the animals, much after the fashion described by Sir Walter Scott in Waverley, and throw their spears at them when attempting to escape. However their most common mode of hunting kangaroo and emu is with dogs. They had domesticated the dog when the country was first discovered, and now that they have crossed the breed with the kangaroo dog, many of them are in possession of animals quite fit for the work: the kangaroo dog himself is a greyhound with a dash of the mastiff, to give him weight, size, and courage. Some few of them have muskets, but this, until lately, was contrary to law. Near Portland Bay the natives make use of a long, slight stick, with a noose at the end, with which they snare birds of all kinds, even the wild turkey, which they creep up to in the manner described above. The game, when obtained, they roast whole in the fire, and pull it in pieces when sufficiently cooked.