Untitled

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 9, 9 December 1862, Page 2

Kangeroo Huntino — When chased, the boomah invariably seeks refuge in some lake or waterhole ; instinct teaching the animal . the great advantage it possesses from its su- ] perior height over every quadrupedal adver- ( sary. The last one I killed was iv Victoria, in a small fresh- water lagoon, neat the great salt-water Lake Korangamyte. The boomah jumped into it until he had reached the depth of four feet, and my two dogs boldly sprang in after him. On reaching the kangaroo, he dexterously piled hisjpowerful arms and ducked his assailants alternately until he had half drowned one of them, called? "Eightpence" (his original cost), who had ; only strength enough lefc to reach the shore, j He then embraced the other, and a mortal ; struggle ensued, which unfortunately resulted in poor Spring reaching the bank with his left shoulder literally severed from his body. Upon seeing this, my wrath was kindled, and fastening my horse to a branch, I instantly waded into the water. The dog " Eightpenca," on witnessing my intention, took fresh courage, and again flew to the attack. On my nearing the boomah, he raised himself to his full height, and sprang towards me with distended jaws and outstretched arms ; but the dog having at this critical moment created a diversion by a nip in the rear, I seized the left arm of the annimal,and, by a well told blow at the back of his ears, with my dog killing club, settled all further dispute ; dragged the prey to shore ; skinned the foreparts as far as the loins, and placing the ponderous hind-quarters with great difficulty upon the shoulders of the horse — after quarter of an hour's hard work — I managed to scramble into the saddle, and soon arrived with my booty at Lake Coiac, on the borders of which was my sheep-station. Curiosity prompted me to hang the cumbersome hind parts of the animal on the steelyards, when, to the astonishment of us ail, it turned the pea at 921 b., being the largest boomah we had ever seen or caught. Its massive tail, at the butt or root, measured 22 inches round, gradually tapered to the extremity, and measured 40 inches in len gt. The skin underneath the tail is usually so thick and horny, as to afford a valuable substitute for shoes commonly called mocassins, which, in the bush, when far away from the sons of St. Crispin, we were only too glad to wear. The method of running by a succession of flying leaps affords the kangaroo great advantage in clearing the hol«s and thick underwood, which offer great obstruction to the speed of ho*»ds. I have frequently measured several successive leaps of a boomah on a slight declivity, and found them to average the almost incredible length of 30 feet each, bound ing at the same time over branches and dead trees to the height of five and six feet, with perfect ease. — Thirty-three years in Tasmania and Victoria., by George Thomas Lloyd. , ATk.ba.surb of the Deep. — A few days since a gardener, in the employ of a gentleman \ on the coast of Ayrshire, found amongst some gravel brought from tha sea shore, a mourning ring, which had apparently been washed ashore, and from the date on it had been some years iv the sea. The glass was gone, and the hair inside crumbled to dust directly it was dried. Inside the ring there was inscribed, " M. Plant, obt. Aug. 29, 1819. Mt. 54"— so that it is forty- ! three years old. The ring was also much worn I away, and broken in one part, probably from ' being washed against the jtonte on the shore. — ' Scotch Paper.