32 HISTORY OF 



This poor fellow at length suffered the fate of 

 his companions, for on some of the natives* 

 being brought to the Colony, he caught the 

 disease -end died. With such violence did this 

 disorder rage, that the country seemed desolate, 

 and one;wh<j>le tribe of natives were swept off 

 except , three persons. 



It is 1 remarkable that though Sydney was full 

 of children at tb^t time, and they visited >those 

 natives that were ill, not one caught it. 



Those on the coast have a disorder very much 

 like the itch, sometimes it is very general; in 

 1791, it raged so much that many came to the 

 colony in a shocking state, and every native 

 seen, had it with more or less violence. 



The venereal disease, there is every reason to 

 imagine they ^vere not ignorant of before they 

 knew us, but if they were, our arrival will 

 account for its appearance shortly after, 

 though every care on the part of the Governor 

 was taken to prevent it. However an inter- 

 course between the people soon took place, a 

 native, woman had a child by a white man; but 

 perceiving the child incline more to white, than 

 the colour of her other children, she held the 

 little unfortunate over the fire in the smoke, 

 rubbing dirt and oil over its body, to give it 

 the wished-for hue. 



When they have a pain in any part, they tie 

 a ligature very tight round the part, and thu3 

 stopping the circulation of the blood, give ease 

 to the part affected. 



