600 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 
woman, and afterwards followed as best she could. Soon after 
the birth she carried her baby to the river, and plunged in with 
it. The child at its birth was white, and gradually assumed the 
dark colour; and it was usual, when its head was a bad shape, 
to improve it by bandaging. Mothers suckled their infants for a 
long time, two years or more; in fact, until they could walk 
about, and, as a rule, were extremely fond of their offspring, and 
when otherwise occupied they were accustomed to place their 
babies in the hot sand to keep them warm. They carried their 
infants in a kangaroo-skin at.their backs, and suckled them over 
their shoulders ; the breasts of the female became consequently 
much elongated. The fathers never carried their children. 
Mothers were generally averse from having a family, as it so 
materially interfered with their hunting, and they frequently 
resorted to artificial means to prevent it, such as placing a hot 
sandstone on the abdomen. 
There is no reason to suppose that infanticide existed among 
them in their wild state. There is little doubt, however, but 
that it was not uncommon in late years, driven to it as they in 
all probability were by the continued harassing of the whites ; in 
fact, when their fear of the latter prevented their killing the 
kangaroo in their usual manner, dogs became so extremely 
valuable that the females have been known to desert their infants 
for the sake of suckling the puppies! Infanticide, in the case of 
half-castes, was not unknown. An instance is given of a mother 
who had immolated her infant of mixed origin, excusing herself 
by saying it was not a “pretty baby.” This was, however, far 
from universal, and was more commonly the act of the tribe than 
of the mother. A native woman, who had an infant of this class, 
fell accidentally into the hands of her tribe, who tore the child 
from her arms and threw it into the flames. The mother 
instantly snatched it from death, and, quick as lightning, 
dashed into the bush, where she concealed herself until she 
made her escape. The injuries which: she received were, how- 
ever, fatal. 
Cannibalism seems, on the best authority, to have been only 
partially practised among a few tribes of natives in their wild 
state, but under what circumstances is not clear. Truganini 
denied that it ever existed in her own tribe, that of Bruni Island. 
The male children were taught by their elders to throw the 
spear, to use the waddy, to climb trees, and to throw stones, and 
were made fit to take part in fights and dances. 
Names were given in infancy by parents, and were usually 
taken from any surrounding object that took their fancy, such as 
an animal, shell, tuft of grass, &c. Later on, when the church 
intervened to perform the rite of baptism, suitable Christian 
names were duly forthcoming. 
