The Plant Grew In Depressions
Of The Plains, Where The Boys And Young Men Were Occupied The Whole Day
In Digging For It.
The women went in search of other food; either to the
sea-coast to collect shell-fish, - and many
Were the broad paths which led
across the plains from the forest land to the salt-water - or to the
brushes to gather the fruits of the season, and the cabbage of the palms.
The men armed with a wommala, and with a bundle of goose spears, made of
a strong reed or bamboo (?), gave up their time to hunting. It seemed
that they speared the geese only when flying; and would crouch down
whenever they saw a flight of them approaching: the geese, however, knew
their enemies so well, that they immediately turned upon seeing a native
rise to put his spear into the throwing stick. Some of my companions
asserted that they had seen them hit their object at the almost
incredible distance of 200 yards: but, making all due allowance for the
guess, I could not help thinking how formidable they would have been had
they been enemies instead of friends. They remained with us the whole
afternoon; all the tribe and many visitors, in all about seventy persons,
squatting down with crossed legs in the narrow shades of the trunks of
trees, and shifting their position as the sun advanced. Their wives were
out in search of food; but many of their children were with them, which
they duly introduced to us.
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