A War Veteran's Interesting Experiences: Ghastly Tribal Rites of the Aborigines Another interesting traveller was introduced to Shanghai on Wednesday, when, at the Apollo Theatre, under the auspices of the British Women's Association, Capt. David Doull kept a large audience of school children often anvestruck. frequently amused, and interested all the time with his tales of Australia and his lantern and cine-motograph pictures in illustration of the tour through "The Lonely Continent." Capt. Doull really is interesting. A very keen Austra-lion, big and athletic looking, one does not need to bs told that he was out with the Anzacs. Once he was a journalist—and he is still in a way, for he says that he feels impelled to write about everything he sees and even during the War he could not stop writing. How: ever, for some years past he has been a traveller and lecturer.
He is not connected with the Australian Government's trade development schemes, but he is very useful unofficial agent, for he appears to know intimately all that Australia has to offer, in what ways certain Australian goods have an advantage over those of other countries and where the possipilities of trade lie. He is very keen on Australia getting a good grip on the Eastern markets and talks very encouragingly of the benefits that may result mutually to Australia and China.
The vast island Continent, still in large part unexplored and populated in some areas by tribes of whom absolutely nothing is known, even yet is a Splendid subject for a lecturer, for there is so much in it of which the greater world is ignorant, in history, romance and business. Capt. Doull, as already stated, is all for Australia and seems to have been all over it and studied it thoroughly. He says there is no question of cannibalism still being the vogue with certain tribes. It is, however, not so much the indulgence of a taste for human flesh as food as the continuance of tribal rites. They cat the arms and legs of fallen foes with the idea that thereby they gain in courage and when their own relatives die the fat off the dead person's cheeks is eaten by members of the family, who believe that by so doing their grief in bereavement will be materially lessened.
Capt. Doull says it is quite true that the aborigines are dying out, and it is seemingly impossible for them to live in a civilized country, which is not altogether surprising after hearing of some of their de-proved notions. Yet the contrast 1s there as everywhere, for Capt. Doull knows a full-blooded abonginal woman of the highest culture and education, who can speak eight languages. Perhaps it is superfine ous to repeat that these same lowbred blacks are the finest exponents of woodcraft in_the world, the best of the Red Indians being as children by comparison. Capt. Doull bears this out in every particular and says that there is nothing in the way of tracking that they cannot accomplish.
The columns of a newspaper are insufficient to deal with all that Capt. Doull has to tell, but yesterday's lecture will not be the only one here. He proposes staying in Shanghai for some while and is arranging to give several lectures open to the public, besides others at various educational institutions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.