NEW SOUTH WALES. gl 



enough to set on her shoulders with its legs 

 round her neck, and lay hold of her hair to 

 keep itself up. The children are named after 

 some fish, bird, or beast. At an early age 

 they have the ornaments of the hair added to 

 them, as well as those of clay onthdskin. 



JUVENILE SPORTS. 



The sports of the native children are minia- 

 ture exhibitions of the exercisers of men, from 

 an early age they practise the throwing the 

 spear and defending themselves from it ; and 

 almost from eight years old till they realize the 

 scene, they amuse themselves with stealing the 

 females, as their fathers have formerly their 

 mothers, and treating them little better. These 

 are the sports of the youths ; but they are em- 

 ployed assisting in fishing and the chase at an 

 early age. 



Children feel themselves capable of receiving 

 an insult, for even if at play a blow or push of 

 greater force than seems requisite is given, they 

 return one of the same kind with an equal spirit 

 of retaliation as the men. The children have a 

 talent for mimicry, in which they take great 

 delight ; the air of a soldier, the importance of 

 an officer, the skulking way of lazy convicts, 

 indeed every thing that passes they mimic with 

 great exactness, and if they succeed in endea- 

 vouring to please, and draw forth the smile of 

 approbation, they laugh themselves immoder- 

 ately. 



