Page:An Australian Parsonage.djvu/23

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
x
CONTENTS.

—Descent of Cut Hill—View of Mount Bakewell—Arrive at Barladong—Description of Church and Parsonage—Deaf Clerk's welcome—Early call for sick visiting—Melancholy noise of curlews in the middle of the night. … Page 38


Description of Parsonage House—Multiplicity of doors—Verandahs the only passage from room to room—Difficulty in procuring necessary fittings—First visit to a country store—Beauty of native mahogany flooring if properly kept—Pensioners and wives—Convict depôts in country districts—Depôt at Barladong—Clocks and cocks—Climate in summer—Favourite riding-horse—Visits from the natives—Appearance and character of Khourabene—Difficulties as to dress—Habits of exchanging all things with each other—Native's duties towards strangers—Love of dogs among the natives—Behaviour to the women—Matrimonial quarrel near Parsonage—"Bollia" men, or conjurors—Cruel custom of avenging a death—Native grave—Natives very trustworthy as messengers—Ned sent to carry letter—His behaviour to his wife—Pepper-tea and sham poisoning—Use of grease and fat on the skin—Old Isaac's amusement at a lady's riding-hat—Red earth or Wilghee used as ornament—Native dandy dressing himself for a dance—Khourabene's suit of mourning. … 59


A new servant—Make-shifts in cooking—Kaolin—Camp-ovens—A native "batch"—Variety of out-door premises—Nature of the Australian hard woods as fuel—Alarm of fire—Sandalwood and "stink-wood" as fuel—Trade in sandalwood—Licence for cutting wood in bush—Bush-fires—Sudden deafness caused by fright—Infant burnt—Beauty of bush-flowers, and want of any useful food—Great scarcity of edible roots in bush—Promise of dried fruits from vine, apricot, and other introduced trees—Oranges and lemons—Potatoes—Curious objection of settlers to eat spinach—Name of spinach growing wild—Dubbeltje—Origin of name—Pig-melons for apple-pies—Sugar-beer—Native brewing—Ned's fear of bad Spirit soothed by sugar-beer. .. 89


Drawbacks to progress of West Australia—"Dangerous" country—Mr. Drummond identifies poisonous plants—Land when infested by them useless for pastoral purposes—Evil partly remediable—Intelligence required in shepherds—Impossibility on many roads of employing