INFANTICIDE. 123 



previous to birth ; and when it takes place, keep 

 their word by destroying it. One instance was 

 mentioned to me as occurring at a station at 

 " Cuttabaloo," (a hundred and twenty miles 

 from Dabee,) and near the Castlereagh or Big 

 River ; (and I have since known several similar 

 occurrences ;) the woman had, in this case, been 

 two days suffering from a severe and lingering 

 labour, during which, she often threatened the 

 poor unborn infant with death on its coming into 

 the world, using the expression of " pi, a, co- 

 bera ! (break its head !"*) and, on its birth, the 

 unfortunate baby was absolutely killed by its 

 unnatural parent, f This has occurred in a num- 

 ber of instances when the children were half- 

 castes, and seems to be almost an invariable 

 custom among the Australian aborigines, — as it is 

 among the New Zealanders and natives of the 

 Polynesian Archipelago, to destroy the infants 

 produced by intercourse with Europeans, unless 

 the father resides constantly with the female, or 

 else may be near them at the time, to prevent 



* " Pi" signifies " to hit or break," and " cobera," " head." 

 f It has been stated frequently to me, that the females 

 destroying their offspring allege as a reason, that they are 

 too much trouble to carry about : however, it is well known, 

 that, as their children become older, they evince much at- 

 tachment towards them. 



