Austral English Part 253
1875. Lady Barker, `Station Amus.e.m.e.nts in New Zealand,' p. 154:
"Describing the real swagger, clad in flannel shirt, moleskin trowsers, and what were once thick boots."
1890. `The Century,' vol. xli. p. 624 (`Century'):
"Under the name of swagger or sundowner the tramp, as he moves from station to station in remote districts, in supposed search for work, is a recognized element of society."
1893. `Otago Witness,' Dec. 21, p. 6, col. 3:
"Once a footsore swagger came along, and having gone to the house to ask for `tucker,' soon returned. He took his swag from his shoulders and leant it against the Tree; then he busied himself gathering the small sticks and dried leaves lying about on every side."
1896. `The Argus,' March 23, p.5, col. 1:
"The minister's house is the sure mark for every stone-broke swagger in search of clothes or victuals."
1896. `Southern Standard' (New Zealand), [page not given]:
"An ardent young lady cyclist of Gore, who goes very long journeys on her machine, was asked by a lady friend if she was not afraid of swaggers on the road. `Afraid of them?' she said, `why, I take tea with them!'"
1896. `The Champion,' Jan. 4, p. 3, col. 3:
"He [Professor Morris] says that `swagger' is a variant of `swagman.' This is equally amusing and wrong."
[Nevertheless, he now says it once again.]
. a humorous variation on swagman.
1892. E. W. Horning, `Under Two Skies,' p. 109:
"Here's a swaggie stopped to camp, with flour for a damper, and a handful of tea for the quart-pot, as safe as the bank."
, is not generally a seeker for work.
1890. `The Argus,' June 7, p. 4, col. 2:
"The regular swagman carrying his ration bags, which will sometimes contain nearly twenty days' provender in flour and sugar and tea."
1891. Rolf Boldrewood, `A Sydney-side Saxon,' p. 156:
"We pulled up a swagman. He was walking very slow; he was a bit lame too. His swag wasn't heavy, for he had only a rag of a blue blanket, a billy of water in his hand, and very little else."
1893. `The Herald' (Melbourne), Jan. 25:
"Under the electric light in the quadrangle of the Exhibition they will give tableaux, representing the murder of a swagman by a native and the shooting of the criminal by a black tracker."
1897. `The Argus,' Jan. 11, p. 7, col. 2:
"The Yarra has claimed many swagman in the end, but not all have died in full travelling costume ... a typical back-blocks traveller. He was grey and grizzled, but well fed, and he wore a Cardigan jacket, brown moleskin trousers, blucher boots, and socks, all of which were mended with rough patches.
His knife and tobacco, his odds and ends, and his purse, containing 14 1/2d., were still intact, while across his shoulder was a swag, and the fingers of his right hand had tightly closed round the handle of his old black billy-can, in which were some sc.r.a.ps of meat wrapped in a newspaper of the 5th inst. He had taken with him his old companions of the roads--his billy and his swag."
(q.v.).
1879 J. Brunton Stephens, `Drought and Doctrine' (Works, p. 309):
"Rememberin' the needful, I gets up an' quietly slips To the porch to see--a swagsman--with our bottle at his lips."
1880. G. Sutherland, `Tales of Goldfields,' p. 89:
"One of these prospecting swagsmen was journeying towards Maryborough."
1882. A. J. Boyd, `Old Colonials,' p. 111:
"Idleness being the mainspring of the journeys of the Swagsman (Anglice, `tramp')."
1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. xix. p. 235:
"The able-bodied swagsmen hasten towards Rainbar."
. common English bird-name.
The species observed in Australia are--
The Swallow-- Hirundo neoxena, Gould.
Black-and-white S.-- Cheramaeca leucosternum, Gould.
Black-faced Wood S.-- Artamus melanops, Gould.
Eastern S.-- Hirundo javanica, Sparrm.
Grey-breasted Wood S.-- Artamus cinereus, Vieill.
Little Wood S.-- A. minor, Vieill.
Masked Wood S.-- Artamus personatus, Gould.
White-bellied Wood S.-- A. hypoleucus.
White-browed Wood S.-- A. superciliosus, Gould.
White-rumped Wood S.-- A. leucogaster, Valenc.
Wood S.-- A. sordidus, Lath.
Artamus is often wrongly spelt Artemus.
The Wood-Swallows are often called Summer-birds (q.v.).
.
See Swamp-Oak.