21 



less operated, with other causes, to keep the native popula- 

 tion low in numbers — for their battles were few, and rarely 

 bloody, (resembling much a German duel, where the parties 

 separate as soon as one is wounded), a war of extermination 

 being almost unknown. The rites of burial were various : 

 in committing the body to the earth, the head was placed 

 to the east, and the whole simply covered with sand and 

 boughs. The survivors, however, often gashed themselves, 

 or painted their faces white, in sign of mourning — while the 

 women cut themselves, scratched their faces, and tore off 

 the skin between their eyes, — a custom known to the Jews 

 at the time of Moses. In some places they howled most 

 piteously, and remained during many hours apparently 

 absorbed by excessive grief. Burial grounds were not 

 common, but some had been found of most romantic beauty. 

 The precise spot under which the body rested was frequently 

 indicated by white stones, or lime balls ; at others, by 

 erecting a hut, or mound, over it. Large cairns had been 

 found in the north, evidently of great antiquity. 



The laws of the Australian aborigines were few, and 

 wholly traditionary. They had reference to criminaloffences, 

 adultery, intermarriage, and the restrictions of certain food, 

 till a certain age was attained. Their punishments were bo- 

 dily, and usually inflicted by one or more throwing their spears 

 at the guilty person, who was allowed to ward them off or 

 not, according to the nature of the crime he had committed. 



Game laws, of a stringent character, existed — it being 

 death to the younger portion of the community to kill or 

 eat certain birds or beasts, &c. 



Their weapons of war were the spear and throwing-stick, 

 the club and the boomerang, — the last of which alone could 

 be said to be peculiar to the natives of this continent. 



Their dances, like those of most other savage nations, 

 were wild and void of grace, unconnected with war or the 

 chase, and resorted to chiefly for the pleasant bodily excite- 

 ment they produced. 



The native population was by no means numerous, and 

 that in the vicinity of the white settlements was fast 

 diminishing. This was not due to any exterminating policy 

 which had been followed, but to a gradual diminution in 

 the number of births ; nor was it to be attributed to the 

 introduction of European diseases, as there was no rational 

 doubt, that our most formidable complaints had existed 

 amongst them from time immemorial. Small-pox, syphilis, 

 and scrofula, were very prevalent at the first discovery of 

 the Island, and are now found many hundred miles inland, 



