100 THi: AHOIIK.IM- 



tlic animals 1 1 1 si t the young married women arc wont to 

 chase. I afterwards took down the words of the song 

 from the lips of some of the women.* 



The tribes now show Utile appearance of jealousy. 

 M:inv. when in the bush, were in a state of hostility ; 

 hut their aniniosities are merged in the genera] feeling 

 of good-will, which seems to pervade the settlement. II' 

 there is anything that betrays the remembrance of former 

 lends, it is hunting. They show a reluctance to limit 

 together if the tribes that compose the party have once 

 been at warfare, unless the Commandant or Surgeon be 

 with them, when his influence is considered a sufficient 

 guarantee against harm. 



Two men of the Western or Port Dalrymple tribe 

 exhibited before us the manner in which quarrels are 

 decided amongst them ; or, it may be described as the 

 mode of giving vent to those feelings of irritation which 

 amongst Englishmen would end in a pugilistic encounter. 

 The parties approach one another face to face, and, 

 folding their arms across their breasts, shake their heads 

 (which occasionally come in contact) in each other's 

 faces, uttering at the same time the most vociferous and 

 angry expressions, until one or other of them is exhausted. 

 This custom is called by them growling, and, from the 

 specimen afforded us by the Western lads, will not 

 probably issue in anything worse than a bloody nose 

 or lip. 



Quarrels are rare among the aborigines of the 

 settlement, but when they do occur some of their tokens 

 of displeasure are odd and unaccountable. One of the 

 men had a difference with his wife, because she had 

 broken something which he highly prized. Instead of 

 showing his displeasure by taking a stick and retaliating 

 on the offender, he rose and deliberately cut the feet of 

 seven who happened to be lying near him asleep, but 

 offered no kind of violence to his wife. After this burst 

 of rage, his anger was appeased, and they were recon- 

 ciled. The Commandant, hearing of the circumstance, 

 had the man brought before him, and told him that as 

 through his misconduct the women w r ould be unable to 

 bring their quantum of water from the well, the offender 

 was required to bring all the water himself. Without 

 saying a w 7 ord or making the least difficulty, the man 



* See p. 29, for song with interlinear translation. 



