We Also Found Several Fish-Hooks Of A Most Peculiar Shape, And Made Out Of
A Curious Material.
In shape they were like a circular key-ring, with a
segment of exactly one-third cut out.
One end was ground sharp, and to the
other was attached the line, cleverly spun from the tea-tree bark. Now, of
all shapes to drive a Limerick hook-maker to despair, none, one would
think, could have been invented better than this, for the odds are
certainly ten to one against its penetrating any portion of a fish, even
though he should have gorged it. The material of which these quaint hooks
are made is tortoise or turtle shell, for both tortoises and turtles abound
on this coast, the former frequenting the fresh-water creeks and lagoons,
and the latter the sea. Whether they were cut out of the solid, or whether
a strip was soaked, bent, and then dried in the sun until it became firmly
set in the required shape, I never could ascertain, but most probably the
former plan was adopted.
The whole island seemed to teem with game, and had we been able to fire, we
should speedily have made a good bag, but this we dared not do, so I made a
mental resolve to return at some future time and make amends for this
enforced restraint. At nearly every step, we put up some bird or beast
strange to European eyes.
I have no doubt it is known to most of my readers that Australia is
destitute of 'Ferae' proper, and that elephants, lions, tigers, etc., are
unknown.
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