448 CLOTHES. ORNAMENTS. TATTOOING. 



did not tattoo. On the north-west coast, King observed some 

 of the natives with a very peculiar decoration. At every three 

 inches between the upper part of the chest and the navel, 

 the body was scarified in horizontal bands, the cicatrices of 

 which were at least an inch in diameter, and raised half an 

 inch from the body.* Some of them fastened to their hair, 

 by means of gum, teeth of kangaroos or of men, dogs' tails, 

 fish-bones, bits of wood, and other objects which they regarded 

 as ornamental. Frequently they wore pieces of opossum, or 

 kangaroo-skin not for decency, but for warmth, and, while 

 hunting, as a protection from thorns. According to D'Urville, 

 however, the natives of New South Wales did not think it 

 decent that young children should go quite naked.-)- McGil- 

 livray also mentions a very similar idea at Moreton Bay. In 

 many parts of Australia the natives also paint themselves, 

 red and white being the favourite, or at least the commonest 

 colours. The red is laid on in broad patches, the white gene- 

 rally in stripes or spots, a circle often being drawn round 

 each eye. Some tribes, but not all, tattoo themselves on the 

 back and breast in rows, rings, and semicircles. Among the 

 females on the Murray, the only ceremony of importance with 

 which Eyre was acquainted was that of scarring the back. 

 Eyre indeed calls it tattooing, but "crimping" would, I think, 

 be a more correct expression. It takes place at the age of 

 puberty, and is extremely painful. The young woman kneels 

 down and places her head between the knees of a strong old 

 woman, and the operator, who is always a man, cuts the back 

 with a piece of shell or flint in rows of long, deep gashes from 

 left to right quite across the back, and completely up to the 

 shoulders. The whole scene is most revolting : the blood 



O 



gushes out in torrents, and saturates the ground, while the 

 cries of the poor victim gradually rise into screams of agony. 

 Still the girls submit voluntarily, as a well-carved back is 



* 1. c. p. 42. t Voyage de 1'Astralabe, vol. i. p. 471. 



