hunter to approach near enough to spear it. None
but a skilful hunter, in the pride of youth and strength can perform
this feat, and one who has frequently practised it always enjoys great
fame amongst his companions.

When the kangaroo has been obtained in some one or other of these
various methods, the first operation is to take off the skin of the
tail, the sinews of which are carefully preserved to sew cloaks or bags,
or to make spears. The next thing to be thought of is the cooking of the
flesh; and two modes of doing this are common. One of these is to make
an oven by digging a hole in the sand, and lighting a fire in it; when
the sand is well heated, and a large heap of ashes is collected, the
hole is scraped out, and the kangaroo is placed in it, skin and all;
it is then covered over with ashes, and a slow fire is kept up above
it; when baked enough, it is taken out and laid upon its back, the
intestines are then removed, and the whole of the gravy is left in the
body of the animal, which is carefully taken out of the skin, and then
cut up and eaten. Travellers in the Bush speak very highly of the
delicious flavour of the meat thus curiously cooked. The other mode of
dressing is merely to broil different portions of the kangaroo upon the
fire, and it may be noticed that certain parts, as the blood, the
entrails, and the marrow, are reckoned great dainties. Of these the
young men are forbidden to partake. Of the blood a sort of long sausage
is made, and this is afterwards eaten by the person of most consequence
in the company.

Another abundant source of food is supplied to the native population
of New Holland at certain seasons, in particular situations, by the
various sorts of fish which abound on its coasts, and in its bays and
inlets. From this, most probably, arises the fact observed by Captain
Flinders, that the borders of bays, and entrances of rivers, are in New
Holland always most thickly peopled. And Collins mentions a sort of
fancied superiority, which these people pretend to, above those that
dwell in the more inland parts. "The natives of the coast," he says,
"when speaking of those in the interior, constantly expressed themselves
with contempt and marks of disapprobation." So very similar are the airs
and vanity of a savage, to those in which civilised man indulges. The
three most common modes of catching fish are, by spearing them, taking
them by means of a weir constructed across places which are