152 LAWS OF PUNISHMENT 



In illustration of their laws relative to punish 

 nients^ and to shew their identity with those of other 

 Australian tribes^ I ma}^ mention a circumstance 

 which came under my own knowledg*e. One nig^ht 

 about ten o'clock^ hearing* an uproar at a native 

 encampment near the hospital^ I ran out and found 

 that a young- man^ named Munjerrijo^ having* excited 

 the jealousy of another^ of the name of Yung-un^ on 

 account of some improper conduct towards the wife 

 of the latter^ had been severely wounded^ his arm 

 being- broken w ith a club^ and his head laid open 

 with an ii'on-headed fishing- spear. As the punish- 

 ment was considered too severe for the offence^ it 

 was finally determined^ that^ upon Munjerrijo's re- 

 cover}^^ the two natives who had wounded him should 

 oflfer their heads to him to be struck with a club^ the 

 usual way^ it would appear, of settling- such matters. 



Like the other Australian tribes^ those of Port 

 Essing-ton are frequently at feud with their neig'h- 

 bours^ and quarrels sometimes last for years^ or^ if 

 settled^ are apt to break out afresh. In these cases 

 the lex talionis is the only recog-nised one. I may 

 g-ive an example. A Monobar native (inhabitant of 

 the country to the westward of the isthmus) was 

 shot by a marine in the execution of his duty^ for 

 attempting- to escape while in custody^ charg-ed with 

 robbery. When his tribe heard of it^ as they could 

 not lay their hands upon a Avhite man^ they enticed 

 into their territory a Bijenelumbo man^ called Nein- 

 mal, who was a friend of the whites^ having- lived 



