J. Giles Powell

“ Some idea of the power of a kangaroo's hind leg may be formed from the fact, that the elasticity of the two legs are sufficient, without any fulcrum, to throw an animal, weighing between two and three hundred weight, a distance of sixty, or, it is said, sometimes even ninety feet, at a single bound, and that the instant the feet touch the ground, the animal is elevated to another leap. ”

“ Take care to have a snug kennel made for the bitch on board, and provide a little sulphur and other dog-medicines in case she should require them, and make much of the poor thing on the voyage, otherwise she will droop and perhaps die; for dogs, like human beings, will lose their spirits if not encouraged and spoken to. You will, of course, see that she is regularly fed, but not overfed—give her water frequently yourself, and when near the Line be careful to shade her from the sun. ”

“ If you are acquainted with any industrious persons, who have the means only of paying their passage out, and providing themselves with bedding and clothes for two or three years, and a double stock of the tools they are accustomed to use: advise them to come here, and they may rely upon obtaining constant work; and if they save, as they ought to do upon 5s. a day, in two or three years may obtain an allotment for themselves, and, if they persevere in industry, will acquire a handsome property; for as the Colony rises, their prosperity will increase. ”

“ The claw on the middle toes of the hind foot is the principal fighting weapon of the kangaroo, especially when the enemy comes to close quarters,—the enemy being grasped between the fore legs, and ripped open by a single stroke of this powerful weapon, moved, as it is, by the great muscular strength of the large leg. ”

“ But on no account take out one person whose character is blemished, or whom you think will either be inclined to insolence or laziness, for otherwise they will be of more trouble than profit. You can have no notion of the work necessary to be done upon an allotment, on which there is no hut to shelter you, no yard to confine stock of a night, no ground levelled for the plough—for if one labourer is required all the year upon a small farm in England, the whole of which is in an improved state, how much more is one wanted here, where every thing is in a state of nature. ”

“ I beg, therefore, that you will bring out a bitch with you, not on account of her beauty, but bring one that is hard bitten, and will fetch any thing out of the water. For there are a multitude of ducks and swans shot in the rivers and lagoons, and cannot be got at for want of a good water-dog. Useful dogs are selling at high prices. The kangaroo-breed find purchasers at fifteen guineas each. They certainly are fine animals, much larger than a greyhound. ”

“ In the night, as well as in the day-time, I should find a dog of great service to me; the little property which I have, and cannot stow away in my tent, being exposed to all risks, and none but myself to protect it, so a dog would be my companion and protector. ”

“ When chased, there is the stroke of the tail; and in addition to that, the jerking out of the hind leg, which, if it takes effect, is both a severe blow, and a still severer laceration,—as the powerful articulation of the central toe gives to that a very rapid motion, by means of which it tears while the foot is striking. Then, if the animal turns and stands at bay, the fore-feet strike while the enemy is not at close quarters; and if he once be grasped, there is the hug and the finishing stroke of the hinder foot. Even in water the kangaroo is formidable, and it seems to know that ”

“ And if our friends will from time to time send out a file of newspapers, they will provide us with a fund of agreeable intelligence, which we shall feel thankful for when the rains confine us within walls. ”

“ If you do not want, or cannot sell these articles on board, there is a merchant here who will be happy to take them off your hands at a liberal profit. One of our passengers, a Scotchman, being used to long voyages, arranged his cabin upon this plan, and cleared a considerable sum during the voyage, by selling these articles quietly to the passengers: he was obliged, of course, to be careful not to have a crowd or any noise at his berth; and, therefore, you must be cautious, and, as soon as your "customers" are served, request them to take their "goods" and consume them in their own cabins. ”

“ Bear with whatever little disagreeables you may meet with, they will seldom arise from the sailors, who are not disposed to meddle with those who let them alone; but captains are often ill-tempered and irritable, especially when they are teazed by those they have to deal with, and among the passengers you will probably meet with overbearing and consequential fellows, who will be more troublesome if you appear vexed by their behaviour. Remember you will not be cooped up with them long, and avoid any dispute with them, still less an appeal to the captain ”

“ Thus, even from the little that is known of the habits of those singular animals, we have in the larger ones a means of defence as singular as their form is, compared with that of European animals. Of these, they certainly approximate nearer to the stag than those of any other; though the form of the animal makes the means of putting the instinct in execution quite different. ”

“ But if you engage a cabin in the steerage for yourself, and pay 40l. for it, you would be repaid in the end, to say nothing of the comfort of having it entirely to yourself, as I will presently state. But if you can afford [3] to pay for a berth in the cabin, select one, if possible, upon the poop deck, as that will be more airy than in the lower cabins; if, however, you must go below, choose a berth as near the ladder as you can for purer air, and the nearer you are to the centre of the vessel, the less you will feel its motion. ”

“ I by no means think every owner, captain, or steward would impose upon you, many of them are persons of honourable principles; but you are a countryman, and, as such, I want to prevent your being imposed upon by any person who may wish to deceive or cheat you. Endeavour to be as near the middle hatchway as you possibly can for air and comfort, if you prefer coming out in the steerage. ”

“ When you come out endeavour to obtain as many letters as you can from persons of note, as introductions to the Governor, or any of those who may hold high situations in the Colony, for passports of this sort may be of infinite service to you, and will convince those who are in the Colony, that you are neither a scape-grace sent out by friends to make a last shift, nor a runaway from creditors. ”

“ A new door will be open to the commerce of this country, and, of course, a vent found for the consumption pf a portion of our surplus manufactures; indeed it cannot be expected, for some years to come, the Colony will be able to supply itself with the raw material of any useful article, as the attention of every one will be rivetted to agriculture. The land must be tilled, habitations must be erected, and cattle must be reared. To produce food by manual labour, and to improve the land under the Colonial Regulations, will be the first consideration ”

“ This padding of elastic matter enables the kangaroo not only to stand firm upon a hard and smooth surface, but to alight, after an immense bound, without any injury to its feet, or concussion to its body. The fore-feet are padded in the same manner, though not so abundantly, and when it springs against an ascending surface, they assist in breaking its fall. ”

“ Towards the hind quarters the whole of the race get comparatively thick and strong, and the hind legs are long•, powerful, and remarkably elastic. The hind feet are singularly formed ; they terminate in three toes, the central one remarkably long, and powerful in its articulation, and armed with a claw, which, in the larger species, is no simple weapon. The outside toe has also a claw of some size, but is not half the length of the middle one. ”

“ All these may at first bear a high price ; but, so soon as it is discovered that the Colony can furnish any article of commerce, as, for example, oil, salt fish, tobacco, or cotton, trade by barter will commence on a fair footing, and all the essentials of life will be obtained at a reasonable rate.↑ This is advice well worthy to be held in remembrance by those who may go out, as steerage passengers, to any part of the world; otherwise, as in the case above, a person may be compelled unjustly to suffer serious privations, and without any means of redress. ”

“ And throughout the passage, I would entreat you to avoid quarrelling with any one; be civil and obliging to all—never take a part, or side with any in party or dispute, but make it a rule to stand neuter; if, however, you must interfere, try to be a peacemaker rather than a peace-breaker. ”

“ The tail makes excellent soup; and the flesh of the animal is generally chopped into small pieces, and stewed with the addition of a quantity of pork,—the dish so prepared being locally termed "a steamer," and being by no means despicable food. ”

“ The bottom of the foot is covered with an elastic substance, more abundant, and yielding more readily to pressure than that found on the foot of almost any other animal. It is hardly to be distinguished from a piece of thick caoutchouc, or India-rubber. ”

“ The head is small, the mouth destitute of canine teeth, the eyes large, and the ears erect and pointed. The forepart and fore-legs of the animal are small, the latter being divided into five toes armed with strong claws. Those extremities are not used in running, though the animal makes use of them when feeding, and also as weapons of defence, for which they are by no means unavailing, either in striking blows, or in holding and hugging their adversaries, after the manner of a bear. ”

“ Let me, then, most earnestly advise you to be upon your guard; trust no man's word, however plausible he may be, not even of the Owner or Broker, but have it down in black and white, and then there can be no disputes. ”

“ If poor "Bumpus" was here, many pounds would be offered for him, for he will hunt and set any game in the water, or out of it. We have a large sort of quail, a beautiful bird, it is found in boggy ground, and a good setter would be very serviceable; it flies like the partridge, and is equally good for the table. In order to be provided with game, which abounds here, you should bring out a double-barrel gun, a rifle or long duck-gun, and an ample supply of powder, shot, flints, and lead. ”

“ I have already found out that, if you will join me, and add your small fortune to our combined exertions, we shall in a few years acquire a handsome independence, and the longer we apply ourselves to business, so much more valuable our property will become. ”

“ I have had so many things to direct your attention to, that I had nearly omitted to notice that most useful garment to a workman in a hot country—a flannel jacket, with sleeves, made of good materials; for it will be more comfortable and healthy to work in than a shirt ”

“ I hope you will, on no account, omit an article of the greatest use to a settler immediately upon his arrival, and that is a truck to convey goods upon, and it ought to be so constructed that a pony or mule might draw it as well as a man—bring also some wheelbarrows, which are scarce here, and in great demand. ”

“ Fail not to purchase cart-ropes, corn-sacks, and selves, with some useful books upon agriculture, farriery, and brewing, together with a small butterchurn, pails, barrels, and kegs, these last are in great demand here—even for a common one I have been obliged to give fifteen shillings; they are so requisite an article, in fact, persons here cannot well do without them. ”

“ I must earnestly recommend all those who come out as steerage passengers, to have a list of every thing that they may be entitled to during the voyage, signed by the Captain and those that charter the vessel, for that may keep you from many an unpleasant difficulty and dispute when on board. ”

“ But this is not to be wondered at, for the Colony at present has produced nothing for the market. Many of the settlers, either from ignorance or want of money, did not bring out many of the necessaries they require, and of those that did, there are few who purchased more than they require for their own use. ”

“ As we naturally feel most anxious to learn any news from our native country, you must have the kindness to bring out lots of newspapers, and any periodical publications of recent date, which you can pick up on reasonable terms. ”

“ Among the rocky and broken places, and on the more sterile islands, there are several species of much smaller kangaroos, which are seldom found exceeding; sixty pounds in weight, and often falling far short of that. ”

“ As yet we are ignorant of the exact laws by which we are to be governed, but I hope before your arrival every thing will be in a regular channel, and that, with the help of God, I shall have some place to shelter you.
↑ That the common necessaries of life will obtain a high price for some time must be expected, as, perhaps, very few settlers have taken out little more than to supply themselves ”

“ I shall now mention another article, as essentially necessary as any of those I have hitherto named, and that is, a safety-lamp to burn in the tent, for the wind penetrates at every crevice, and blows a common light about which makes it very dangerous, especially when there is gunpowder in the place. ”