BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 399 
beaten paths in various directions. When they have selected a place 
suitable to their purpose, the natives break down the shrubs and con- 
struet a sort of rough fence, placing their nets in the tracks, with the 
mouths of the nets open towards the thickets. The people then as- 
semble, and disperse themselves in the opposite end of the brushwood 
from the traps, and set up a great noise, which induces the terrified 
creatures, whatever they may be, to rush towards the nets ; somewhat 
on the principle of the Highland huntsmen, who used to drive the deer 
into the snare. One or more natives conceal themselves near, to watch 
and secure such animals as may chance to get entangled. The nets 
are constructed of the bark of the plant numbered 730 and 731 of 
my large collection, whose valuable properties for that kind of use I 
pointed out long ago, to our Agricultural Society: it gave me no 
small pleasure to see these poor ereatures turning it to account. There 
is not however much to increase human pride in the spectacle of this 
slight variety of “Homo sapiens” in his natural state. It is true that 
by superior strength, aided by the little knowledge these people acquire 
from their ancestors, they are enabled to lord it over the other animals 
of the creation; but then the same spear with which they lay prostrate 
the kangaroo of the forest, destroys also two-thirds of their own spe- 
cies,—not in battle, for few, comparatively speaking, fall in fair fight, 
but by reason of their dark and dreadful superstition, which prompts 
them to avenge the death of their relations: whether caused by nature 
or accident, or by violence, the survivors hold it their duty to immolate 
some victim or victims to the manes of the deceased. There seems an 
analogy in this custom to what we read in Homer, of the human sacri- 
fices offered to the shade of Patroclus. A native of this country will 
travel one hundred miles on foot, almost without food or rest, to murder 
one or more persons, generally of some tribe which he fancies inimical 
to him; but sooner than dispense with a victim, he, whose duty it is - 
considered to be (generally the uncle of the departed individual), will 
fall upon one of his own nearest relatives. The mode is, to steal on 
the sleeping victim and then escape before an alarm can be raised. It 
follows that the friends of the murdered man speedily retaliate, after 
the same fashion, on some other tribe; and thus the country becomes 
a scene of bloodshed. If it were not for this extraordinary and shock- 
ing mode of thinning the population, this land, where disease is un- 
known, could never maintain its inhabitants. Only one recent instance 
