The Murray cod, the black-fish, and the herring were the food of the natives during certain seasons; and before the whites invaded the solitudes of the forests, through which flow in deep shade, even in the height of summer, strong streams, bubbling in sharp bends, rippling where the rocks come to the surface, and gliding smoothly where deep water occurs in long reaches, small parties put up rough sheelings (Miams) for protection against the winds of the night, and fished with net and line whenever the weather was propitious. Even now—enervated, and with no love for the sport, but with a desire merely to get money—the poor natives haunt the streams that once were their own, and bring away fish in well-filled baskets from places where many a sportsman would fail to induce the fish to bite.
How it happens that their fish-hooks are so well made, that their lines, if not always as neatly twisted, are as good as ours, and that their nets are not much different in form or texture from those used by fishermen in Europe, may induce new speculations in the minds of those who believe that the Australian is poor in invention—lower than the lowest amongst mankind, and scarcely fit to be classed with the Bosjesman of Africa or the Mincopie of the Bay of Bengal.
The nets, hooks, and lines used by the natives are of the following description:—
Fishing-net, Lake Tyers. — The Rev. Mr. Bulmer has sent me a fishing-net made by the blacks of kangaroo-grass (Anthistiria ciliata), called by the natives Karn, which is really excellent as a work of art. The knot is the same as that of nets of European manufacture. The size of the mesh is two inches from knot to knot. The natives do not use the ordinary mesh in netting, but regulate the size of the interstices with their fingers; and instead of a needle they use a piece of stick with the twine wound around it. For sinkers they use stones, and for floats the bark of the tea-tree. The name of the net is Ba-arang, and the floats are called Pliart. They do not set the net with stakes, as, being made of grass, it is too fragile for that; but two persons, each in a canoe, take hold of the ends, and draw it through the water, whilst others beat the water and frighten the fish into the net. The net which Mr. Bulmer has forwarded is remarkable for the evenness of the twine and the uniformity in the size of the meshes.
Hand-net.—The hand-net which the Rev. Mr. Bulmer has sent to me is closely woven, and is made also of the kangaroo-grass. The mesh is formed thus.—(Fig. 223.)
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| FIG. 223. |
The hand-net is used in procuring bait for fishing with the hook. It is stretched on a bow, is let down to the bed of the stream, and is drawn through
