Aborigines of Van Diemen's Land, 1830-1840 - Page 13
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[Page 13]
In such places fuel was also scarce, and consequently the miserable Blacks suffered severely.
When they natives roosted in some plain they would, if possible, make some small sheds of Bark, resembling something like a small tent, all the pieces joining at the top, forming a sort of spire, it is was how ever scarcely possible to stand upright in them. The Aborigines did not make their fires in the same way as Europeans when traversing the bush, the latter collect very great quantities of wood and f scattered about in every direction, and fallen trees, which afford a very fierce fire, and would feel chilly and uncomfortable without it. The Blacks on the contrary seemed very sparing of wood though it may generally be had in great abundance. Each little family seldom exceeding four members light a very small fires in front of the different native huts, and
thus at a distance the ascending smoke indicated whether the a white party or a black tribe