Among Cannibals: An Account of Four Years' Travels in Australia and of Camp Life With the Aborigines of Queensland

In 1880 a dedicated naturalist set out for Australia with the backing of a university, intent on gathering specimens for scientific museums and uncovering the customs of the continent’s most remote peoples. His early months took him through South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, where he forged friendships with leading botanists, zoologists and museum curators, earning warm welcomes and valuable assistance for his work.

Turning his focus northward, he spent fourteen months living among the Aboriginal groups of Queensland’s Herbert River valley, documenting daily life from birth to old age. His vivid accounts describe the stark contrast between these remote tribes and their southern counterparts, noting practices that seem alien to European eyes while also collecting a remarkable array of new animal specimens. The narrative offers a rare, first‑hand glimpse into a world on the brink of disappearance, balancing scientific curiosity with the challenges of frontier travel.