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[Page 39] 39
- Honey getting -
The introduction of the english honey bee, proved
a great boon to the blacks €“ Swarms of bees escaped
to the bush and increased wonderfully fast €“ As we
rode through the bush we always kept a sharp
lookout for the bees nests, making a mental note
of any we found, for future use, and as indicating
how numerous they had become, I may mention
that at the time I left Port Stephens in 1873, I knew of over
one hundred trees with bees nests in them, in some cases
two in one tree €“ The blacks seldom troubled to cut
the trees down, preferring to climb it and cut a
hole large enough to reach the combs, these as
they were dropped were deftly caught by the
women in a bark vessel, or a tin bucket €“ the man
calling €œmuh" (now) each time as a signal €“
They never seemed to mind the stings, just rubbed
a little honey on them when very thick €“ They ate
very sparingly of the honey comb €“ but freely
of the brood comb and young bees €“ After the government
had supplied them with a strong boat they did quite
a good trade in collecting honey for the whites €“ For a
pound they would take away in their boat an empty
quarter cask, and in a couple of weeks or so, bring it back
full of nice strained honey €“ with the relative wax melted
[in LHS side margin] into a large yellow cake