MODE OF WARFARE ILLUSTRATED. 6 



bourmg" tribes^ Avlien incursions are made into each 

 other's territories^ and reprisals follow. Althoug-h 

 timely notice is usually g-iven prior to an ag-g-ression 

 being- made by one tribe upon another^ yet the most 

 profound secrecy is afterwards practised by the in- 

 vaders. As an illustration of their mode of warfare^ 

 in which treachery is considered meritorious in pro- 

 portion to its success^ and no prisoners are made, 

 except occasionall}'; A\'lien a woman is carried off, — 

 consisting" chiefly in a sudden and unexpected attack, 

 a short encounter, the flig-ht of one party and the 

 triumphant rejoicing's of the other on their return — 

 I may state the following- on the authority of Gi'om. 

 About the end of 1848, an old Kowrnreg-a man 

 went by himself in a small canoe to the neighbour- 

 hood of Cape Cornwall, while the men of the tribe 

 were absent turtling- at the eastern end of Endea- 

 vour Strait. He was watched by a party of Gomo- 

 kudin blacks or Yig-eiles, who, g-uided b}'- his fire, 

 surprised and speared him. Immediately returning- 

 to the mainland, the perpetrators of this savag-e 

 deed made a g-reat fire by way of exultation. Mean- 

 while the turtling- party returned, and when it became 

 known that the old man had been missing- for seve- 

 ral days, they were induced by his two sons to search 

 for him, and found the body horribly mutilated, \a ith 

 mau}^ spears stuck into it to shew who had been the 

 murderers. This explained the fire, so another was 

 lit in reply to the challeng-e, and at nig-ht a party of 

 Kowrareg-as in six canoes, containing- all the men 



