Grubs as Food
Dr. Leichhardt and Thomas Archer Tasting Them
Ants
Native Bees
Seeking for Honey
Climbing with a Vine
A Disgusting Practice
Sweet Concoction
Catching and Eating Snakes
Iguanas and Lizards
Another Superstition
Hedgehogs Tortoises
Turtles
Grubs – It was, of course, the coastal blacks who made these piles for cobra; the inlanders got grubs in trees. Large white ones were found principally in dead hickory trees in the scrubs; they were cut out with stone tomahawks. Then bluegum saplings often contained grubs. The natives knew when they did by noticing dust on the ground, so, climbing the sapling to where the dust came out, they would knock the bark off at the hole, shove a small hooked twig up this till the grub was felt, and, with a twist, pull it out. These grubs were sometimes roasted, sometimes eaten raw. Other grubs were found in the grass-tree, or Xanthorrhoea (“dakkabin “), at its base, and always a native knew of their presence by the dead leaves in the centre. Kicking the tree with his foot, it would break off at the bottom, and four or five grubs were sometimes found. These latter were always
eaten raw.
With regard to this practice the blacks had of eating grubs, Dr. Leichhardt says:-
“They seem to have tasted everything, from the highest top of the bunya tree and the seaforthia and cabbage palm, to the grub which lies in the rotten tree of the bush, or feeds on the lower stem or root of the Xanthorrhoea. By the bye, I tasted this grub, and it tastes very well, particularly in chewing the skin, which contains much fat. It has a very nutty taste, which is impaired, however, by that of the rotten wood upon which the animal lives.”
My father says he has often eaten this grub in days gone past, and, what is more, declares he liked it. Once, when a boy, he was out in the scrub where Toowong is now, with a couple of natives, and the latter came across some grubs and took them to where several sawyers were at work, to roast them. A man named Jack was awfully disgusted, and said he felt ill at the mere thought of eating such things! However, when the white boy took one, he followed suit after some persuasion, and liked the morsel so well that he ate more. In the end that man grew so fond of grubs that he would give the blackfellows tobacco to find him some. Of course, there were different varieties-some more eatable than others.
The following is an extract from an interesting book printed in Yokohama “Recollections of a Rambling Life,” by Thomas Archer, whose family and name are well-known in Queensland.
“Our way lay for several days through the trackless bush ; we were sometimes pretty hard up for food, and to Dusky Bob belongs the honour of first initiating me into a proper appreciation of the luscious and delicate tree grub, which he cut with his tomahawk, out of the stems of the forest oaks as we wandered along. When roasted in the ashes. these grubs make a dish fit for gods and men, and even when raw they are not to be sneezed at, if one is only hungry enough.”
Ants, etc. – Father has never seen the blacks about here cat ants of any kind or their larvæ. March flies, however, were eaten (principally by children)-at least, not the flies themselves, but a little bag of honey they contained, and which was pulled out. Blacks were by no means dainty in their tastes! They also ate the contents of wasp’s nests, of the large, round, honeycomb kind, when the insects were nearly mature. A nest would be approached quietly, a burning torch of the tea-tree bark held beneath to dislodge the clinging wasps, and then it was pulled, and held over a fire till half roasted, when the contents were knocked out and eaten.
Native Bees – There were two kinds of native honey. One called “kabbai” was pure white and very sweet, and was found always in small, dead, hollow trees. “Kú-ta” was dark honey, of a somewhat sour taste, and might be found in any kind of tree; it was much more plentiful than the other. My father gave the latter name to the Government for the hill near One-tree Hill, as in the old days that was a great place for native honey, and it has been mispronounced and spelt “Coot-tha.” Of course, when the English bees came their honey was taken too, and it was remarkable how, though they were used to their own harmless bees, the natives did not seem to mind being stung, but would unconcernedly pull out the sting. They had then also the Englishman’s tomahawks. These saved them trouble, for their own took a long time to prepare.
In seeking for honey, if a dull day, tiny particles of dirt the bees dropped were looked for at the roots of trees. These particles were very minute, and the aborigines would go on their knees looking for them, blowing leaves, etc., gently aside in their search. If found, the tree would be ascended and the honey taken. On a bright summer’s day the bees themselves were looked for; the natives would shade their eyes with their hands, and gaze up the tree, and the bees, if there, were seen flying round the hole. If a nest were found too late in the day to admit of its being robbed, the finder would put a cut in the tree with his tomahawk, or print a footmark in the soil at the base, or probably just a stick would be stuck up against the trunk. This showed the nest had been discovered, and no one else would touch it. The man would either send some one next day, or come himself. To climb trees the natives used lengths of a scrub vine (Flagellaria indica) they called “yurol.” A length was cut about twelve feet long, and after the outer bark was peeled off with the teeth it would become quite supple, and a loop was made at one end. When about to climb, this vine was put round the tree, the loop end would be held in the left hand and the other in the right, then with his right foot placed against the trunk, and his body thrown backwards. the native would commence to ascend by a succession of springs. At every spring the vine was jerked upwards, and so with wonderful rapidity the ascent was accomplished.
This helper in the way of climbing was called “yurol,” after the vine it was principally cut from, and each native was very careful of his after finishing with it for the day; he would soak it in water and so keep it supple and unlikely to break. On some trees notches or steps were cut to assist the climbing, and when this was the case the unlooped end of the vine was twisted round the man’s thigh, then round his calf, and from there it went to his foot, where he held it firmly with his big toe, so leaving his right hand free to cut the steps in which to place his feet as he went up. Sometimes a bees’ nest was found half way up in the barrel of a hollow tree, and when the man came to this he would pause, and cutting rests for his feet, would proceed with his free hand to cut out the comb. Climbing without using his tomahawk, the man would generally carry it in his belt, but sometimes it was held by the muscles of the neck-head on one side.
With regard to honey, the aborigines had a disgusting practice, which I shall describe. They carried with them a piece of stuff resembling an old rag, which was really chewed bark fibre. Bark for the purpose was generally cut from the stinging tree (Laportea sp.), which has since disappeared from these parts-the root bark was used for making string. The natives called this tree “braggain,” and, as was the custom, the chewed up pieces of fibre went by the same name. To make the latter, bark cut in lengths was pounded till the rough outer surface came away, then beaten again till it became soft, when the darkies chewed it into the semblance of a rag. This ra, a man always carried with him in his dilly when he climbed a tree for honey. Coming to the bees’ nest, he would cut the honeycomb out and let it fall to those below, who deftly caught it. If after eating what they wanted there was some over, it was put into a “pikki” ready to carry away. The man on the tree also ate some, then, when all had been taken, he wiped out the hollow limb with the “braggain,” which soaked up all the remaining honey, and afterwards this rag was carefully placed back in his dilly ready for future use. It would perhaps be wanted several times again, or they might not find another nest that day. When back in camp the ‘braggain” was soaked in water in a “pikki,” then loosely wrung out, and this made the water quite sweet. The rag would then be passed round to each in the hut, and, disgusting as it may seem, all took a suck or chew in turn till it had become dry. It would then be put in the “pikki” again, and so on till the water was used up. Each group possessing a “braggain would do the same, but there would be those who had none, and the fortunate ones would remember these, for at all times food was shared. White people blessed with a large supply of this world’s goods have not always this savage. (?) instinct “to share.”
Another sweet concoction was made in summer time, when the grass tree and what we call honeysuckle were in bloom. Early in the morning, when the dew was on the grass, and the air sweet with perfumes, the old men and women would go forth, each carrying a “pikki” full of water, while the younger people went to hunt. Wending their way, some to the ridges where the grass-trees grew, others to the low flats where the small honeysuckle would be found, they went from flower to flower despoiling them all of their sweetness by dipping them up and down in the “pikki” of water till the latter became sweet. Then they turned them campwards, and, arriving there, would gather in groups to enjoy themselves-all, young and old alike, having their turn with the rag. A drink might be taken from the “pikki,” but this used the precious fluid up too quickly. It was greatly relished, and was called “minti” after the small species of honeysuckle (Banksia amula), whose flower was used in its manufacture. The flower of the larger kind (Banksia latifolia) was also used, but not so much. The blacks called this one “bambara,” and the wood from it was the special wood used in the making of a “bugaram” or a “wobbalkan.”
Snakes. A carpet snake was called “Kabul,” hence the name Caboolture, which meant to the Brisbane tribe “a place of carpet snakes,” for they were plentiful there in the old days. These snakes were found in swamps or anywhere, often up on staghorn ferns in the scrub. The natives were at times helped in their search for game by the cry of birds as they gathered round a snake, for instance. Carpet snakes were caught by the neck, and Father has several times seen a native catch and then feel a carpet snake, and if he were poor let him go. Other snakes were hit on the head with a stick, and then on the back to break it.
A black snake was called “tumgu,” brown snake “kural- bang,” death-adder “mulunkun,” and so on. The natives were more frightened generally of a death-adder than of any of the others, seemingly because of how it could jump, and they would not go near one. Once when my father was a boy in Brisbane, while playing near where the Valley Union Hotel now stands with a number of blackboys, throwing small spears, etc., he almost sat down upon a death-adder. The boys saw it in time to prevent him, and made a great row, calling to him to “Look out.” He was so near the reptile, however, that it was a wonder he escaped. He wished to kill it, but the blacks kept him back, saying it would” jump,” and they themselves did the deed by throwing waddies at it.
Snakes, iguanas, and lizards were put on hot cinders and roasted whole. The natives never attempted to clean any of their food beforehand, as we do. Roasted thus they were much more easily cleaned when half-cooked. Sometimes when opened a carpet snake would contain as many as twenty- five or twenty-six eggs, and an iguana perhaps a dozen; these would be taken out and probably roasted further. Fat, too, was greatly relished, and some would be saved for the body greasing spoken of.
Iguanas and lizards – The small kind of iguana was called “barra,” while the larger one was “gi-wer.” They were found at times in hollow logs; the natives would look for them there, feeling with a stick, then when an iguana was felt, his distance up the log was measured and he was cut out. If when chased at any time an iguana ran up a tree before he was captured, a man would climb up after him and either kill him there or send him down to the death awaiting beneath. Dogs would help in the chase after these reptiles. When one was killed, the natives would never by any chance proceed to cook him till they smashed each leg with a waddy, and also beat along his neck and tail. Father’s curiosity was raised to know why they should do this when the thing was dead, and he found it was a superstition with them-“He never can run away again,” they said. Iguanas’ eggs were sought for, and were found generally near ants’ nests in soft soil, covered up in the earth; the blacks would find them by the tracks the creature made.
Large lizards of several kinds and their eggs were eaten in the same way, and some of them were considered dainties. A large “water-lizard,” which sat on a log in the water, and if any disturbance came along jumped in, was called “magil” (moggill), and here we have the meaning of the name Moggill Creek.
Hedgehogs (“Kaggarr”) – The natives could tell when these had passed by scratching marks they made, and would track them till discovered. Dogs would help. They would be found on the edge of swamps, or in scrubs, or ferny flats; often under a log, or in a hollow one, when they were cut out. They were roasted, and the prickles knocked off. Sometimes these prickles were kept for piercing ‘possum rugs sewn by the women and old men.
Tortoises – A tortoise was called “binkin,” and “Bin- kinba,” was the native name for New Farm, which meant a place of the land tortoise. Father, as a boy, used to go there with the blacks to catch tortoises in the swamps. Who, seeing New Farm now, would think it possible? What we call Pinkenba the blacks knew as “Dumben.” The native name for New Farm has been pronounced incorrectly and given to the wrong place. The land tortoises were caught in fresh waterholes with nets, or in swamps just with the hand. When caught they were roasted whole lying on their backs, and when cooked the shell uppermost was removed, while that of the back served to catch the gravy, which was supped up with great relish.
Turtles – These were cooked in the same way, on their backs to save the juices, and the flesh was cut up and divided round. Great quantities of turtle were seen in the old times at Humpybong, and they were also plentiful in Bribie Passage. There were no steamers or white men to disturb them, and the natives had it all their own way. To catch a turtle they would go out on a calm day, three or four of them in a canoe, stealing along quietly and gently over the water, one man standing up in front on the lookout. As soon as the turtle came to the surface near them, the man standing would dive into the water near where it had appeared, and, if possible, catch and turn it over on its back, so making it quite powerless. Another occupant of the boat would immediately follow this man, taking with him a rope made for the purpose, and he would take his turn under the water in holding the turtle while the first man came up to breathe. And so each man in the boat would have a turn if the water were deep, and in the end the turtle would be got to the surface with rope attached to a flipper. It would then receive a blow on the head, and was towed ashore, where a big fire was made ready to receive it, after its head and flippers were removed. A turtle was called “bo-wai-ya.” Its eggs were found in the sand.