280 ASTONISHMENT. Chap. XII. 



their heads to and fro, and beating their breasts. Mr. 

 Scott informs me that the workmen in the Botanic Gar- 

 dens at Calcutta are strictly ordered not to smoke; but 

 they often disobey this order, and when suddenly sur- 

 prised in the act, they first open their eyes and mouths 

 widely. They then often slightly shrug their shoulders, 

 as they perceive that discovery is inevitable, or frown 

 and stamp on the ground from vexation. Soon they 

 recover from their surprise, and abject fear is exhibited 

 by the relaxation of all their muscles; their heads seem 

 to sink between their shoulders; their fallen eyes wan- 

 der to and fro; and they supplicate forgiveness. 



The well-known Australian explorer, Mr. Stuart, has 

 given 2 a striking account of stupefied amazement to- 

 gether with terror in a native who had never before seen 

 a man on horseback. Mr. Stuart approached unseen and 

 called to him from a little distance. " He turned round 

 and saw me. What he imagined I was I do not know; 

 but a finer picture of fear and astonishment I never saw. 

 He stood incapable of moving a limb, riveted to the spot, 

 mouth open and eyes staring. . . . He remained mo- 

 tionless until our black got within a few yards of him, 

 when suddenly throwing down his waddies, he jumped 

 into a mulga bush as high as he could get." He could 

 not speak, and answered not a word to the inquiries made 

 by the black, but, trembling from head to foot, " waved 

 with his hand for us to be off." 



That the eyebrows are raised by an innate or instinc- 

 tive impulse may be inferred from the fact that Laura 

 Briclgman invariably acts thus when astonished, as I 

 have been assured by the lady who has lately had charge 

 of her. As surprise is excited by something unexpected 

 or unknown, we naturally desire, when startled, to per- 



2 < 



The Polyglot News Letter,' Melbourne, Dec. 1858, p. 2. 



