This indifference to the acquisition of knowledge which does not seem at the moment to be of use or profit is as clearly apparent in the Aboriginal mind as in that of an ordinary European, and is shown not more in these papers, contributed by the Superintendents of Stations, than in the statements generally in this work. In this respect the ordinary European is in no way better than the Australian black. Knowledge that cannot be turned to immediate profit is despised by both, and were it not for the labors of those who value knowledge—not for what it confers, not even for what it may confer, but simply for its exceeding preciousness as knowledge—the arts—even those that give wealth—would advance but slowly; and the physical powers that can be governed and directed at the will of man would remain undiscovered.
Habits of Native Animals, according to accounts given to the Rev. John Bulmer by the natives of Lake Tyers, Gippsland:—
Bärlijan or Platypus.
The platypus lives in the water; he makes holes under the banks of the rivers. A good many live in one place; they have plenty of young ones in their holes: never saw any eggs, only young ones. It has young ones about spring-time: never saw him feed his young. It makes its nest of weed out of the water. It is very good to eat: plenty of fat. It has Gola Koo-yun or spur on its hind foot, which it sticks into any one: makes hand belonging to blackfellow swell very much. The platypus is not very big; about half as long as the arm of a man.
Jirrah or Kangaroo.
The kangaroo generally has its young ones in the summer-time; it has never more than one young one at a time. Blackfellow finds the young one in the pouch very small; they must grow in the pouch. Kangaroos in the day-time like to lie in the sun, and in summer-time they make themselves a big camp. They go in big mobs; sometimes there is only one male in a mob and sometimes two.
Bathalook or Iguana.
The iguana eats any kind of flesh-meat; he catches birds or rats, or any dead thing; he lives in the holes of trees, and makes his nest in the ground: he has a good many eggs. Blackfellow not know how many. The iguana never sits upon her eggs; the young ones come out without that; the mother does not feed her young ones. The blacks generally keep out of the way of the iguana when it is savage or angry. When it is very angry it makes a hissing noise. It will sometimes run after any one who is trying to kill it.
Fish.
The reason why blackfellow catch many fish sometimes and sometimes not many is because the fish in cold weather go into the deep and in summer they come up.
