4 



Polygamy is universal, and I know natives wlio have as many 

 as four wives. "WTien a husband dies his wife or wives and 

 children become the property of his brother or next of kin, 

 irrespective of their having a wife or wives of their own, pro- 

 vided the widows are not too old, in that case they remain 

 widows. 



There is no restriction as to marriages, except among blood 

 relations ; but if parents are of different tribes, the children 

 belong to the father's tribe. 



CHILDEEIf. 



The average of births of children is not more than two to 

 each married woman. It is the custom of some tribes, if the 

 wives have more than three or four children, to kill the new- 

 born ones. The reason assigned for this is that they encumber 

 the parents in travelling about for food. Generally speaking 

 natives are very fond of their children. There are very few 

 half-castes, and it is generally believed that many of them are 

 killed, although the natives do not admit this. 



CANNIBALISM 



Is practised by all natives on the north coast with whom 

 I have come in contact, with the exception of a very small tribe 

 inhabiting the immediate neighbourhood of Port Essington. 

 This tribe is the most civilised on the northern coast, having 

 for years been under the influence of the military who were 

 stationed at the old settlement at Port Essington, which was 

 abandoned in December, 1849. The eating of grown-up 

 people — that is, of natives — is, as far as I can ascertain, not 

 practised. Only children of tender age — up to about two 

 years old — are considered fit subjects for food, and if they fall 

 ill are often strangled by the old men, cooked, and eaten, and 

 all parts except the head, which is skinned and buried, are 

 considered a delicacy. Parents eat their own children, and 

 all, young and old, partake of it. The only instance I have 

 heard where grown-up people have been eaten, was that of 

 two Europeans who were out exploring in the iieighbourhood 

 of the Tor Rock, about forty miles inLand from Mount jVorris 

 Bay ; this was in 1874. These unfortunate travellers were, 

 according to the statements of the friendly natives, killed by 

 the "Tor Eock" tribe, cooked and eaten ; and from my own 

 knowledge of the natives in that neighbourhood I have no 

 reason to doubt this statement to be correct. 



COEROEORIES. 



They are of a similar character as in the south, and are per- 

 formed on various occasions, such as when different; tribes visit 

 each other, when members of the tribe die, when returning 



