Their weapons. Mode of climbing 

 trees. Social system. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Custom of " making young men." 

 Their marriage* 



125 



full of animation, and finally were obliged to stop 

 from exhaustion. 



Their weapons are the spear, club, or nulla- 

 nulla, boomereng, dundumel, and the bundi. Their 

 spears are about ten feet long, and very slender, 

 made of cane or wood tapering to a point, which is 

 biirbed. They are light, and one would scarcely 

 be inclined to believe that they could be darted 

 with any force; nor could they without the aid of 

 the wammera, a straight flat stick, three feet in 

 length, terminating in a socket of bone or hide, 

 into which the end of the spear is fixed. The 

 wammera is grasped in the right hand by three 

 fingers, the spear lying between the fore-finger 

 and thumb. Previous to throwing it, a tremulous 

 or vibratory motion is given to it, which is sup- 

 posed to add to the accuracy of the aim ; in pro- 

 jecting the spear, the wammera is retained in the 

 hand, and the use of this simple contrivance adds 

 greatly to the projectile force given to the spear. 

 They are well-practised in the use of these weapons. 



The nulla-nulla, or uta, is from thirty to thirty- 

 six inches in length, the handle being of a size to 

 be conveniently grasped. 



The dundumel is a weapon used by the natives 

 of the interior ; it has a curved flat handle thirty 

 inches in length, and terminates in a projection 

 not unlike a hatchet; it is thrown from the hand 

 before coming to close quarters, and usually at a 

 very short distance. 



But the most extraordinary weapon is the 

 boomereng. This is a flat stick, three feet long 

 and two inches wide by three-quarters of an inch 

 thick, curved or crooked in the centre, forming an 

 obtuse angle. At first sight one would conclude 

 it was a wooden sword, very rudely and clumsily 

 made; indeed one of the early navigators took it 

 for such. It is an implement used both for war 

 and in the chase. In the hands of a native it is 

 a missile efficient for both, and is made to describe 

 some most extraordinary curves and movements. 



As a defence, they use a shield made of the 

 thick bark of the gum tree ; this they call hicle- 

 mara. It is peculiar in shape, and on the coast is 

 three feet long by six or eight inches wide, with a 

 handle in the centre; it is made rounding. Those 

 iii the interior are only a three-cornered piece of 

 wood, with a hole on each side, through which the 

 hand is thurst. The size of the latter is smaller, 

 being only two feet long and three or four inches 

 broad. It would seem almost impossible that so 

 small a shield should be sufficient to guard the 

 body of a man ; and nothing but their quickness 

 of eye and hand could make it of any value as a 

 protection against the spear or club. 



The mode in which the natives climb trees was 

 considered extraordinary by those who witnessed 

 it, although they had been accustomed to the feats 

 of the Polynesians in the ascent of the cocoa-nut 

 trees. The Australians mount a tree four or five 

 feet in diameter, both with rapidity and safety. 

 As they climb they cut notches above them, with 

 a stone or metal hatchet, large enough to admit 

 two of their toes, which are inserted in them, and 

 support their weight until other holes are cut. 



The social system and intercourse of the Aus- 

 tralians is regulated by custom alone. As no 

 system of government exists, or any acknowledg- 

 ment of power to enact laws, they are solely guided 

 by old usage, and can give no account whatever 



of its origin. The universal reprobation of their 

 associates, which follows a breach of ancient cus- 

 toms, has a strong tendency to preserve a strict 

 observance of them. Many of these customs 

 struck us as remarkable; those that have not been 

 actually seen by the officers of the expedition, have 

 been described by persons entitled to the fullest 

 credit. 



The custom (to use the language of the settlers) 

 " of making young men" is singular. When the 

 boys reach the age of fourteen, or that of puberty, 

 the elders of the tribe prepare to initiate them 

 into the privileges of manhood. A night or two 

 previous, a dismal cry is heard in the woods, 

 which the boys are told is the Bulu calling for 

 them. Thereupon all the men of the tribe set off 

 for some secluded spot, previously fixed upon, 

 taking with them the boys or youths to be initiated. 

 No white man is allowed to be present, and the 

 precise nature of the ceremony is therefore un- 

 known ; but it is certain that the ceremonies are 

 designed to try their courage, fortitude, and the 

 expertness of the boys in reference to their future 

 employments in the chase and in war. There is 

 probably some difference in these ceremonies 

 among the different tribes. The Wellington sta- 

 tion, or those of the interior, for instance, never 

 knock out a front tooth, which is always done on 

 the coast. 



From the time the youths are initiated, they are 

 required to yield implicit obedience to their elders. 

 This is the only control that seems to prevail, and 

 is very requisite to preserve order and harmony 

 in their social intercourse, as well as to supply the 

 place of distinctions of rank among them. 



The youths are likewise restricted to articles of 

 diet, not being allowed to eat eggs, fish, or any of 

 the finer kinds of opossum or kangaroo. Their 

 fare is consequently of a very poor description, but 

 as they grow older these restrictions are removed, al- 

 though at what age we have not learnt; but after 

 having passed the middle age, they are entirely at 

 liberty to partake of all. The purpose of this is 

 thought to be not only to accustom them to a 

 simple and hardy way of living, but also that they 

 should provide for the aged, and not be allowed to 

 appropriate all to themselves. Selfishness is there- 

 fore no part of their character, and all observers 

 are struck with their custom of dividing any thing 

 they may receive among each other, a disinterest- 

 edness that is seldom seen among civilized nations. 



To protect the morals of the youths, they are 

 forbidden from the time of their initiation until 

 their marriage to speak to or even to approach a 

 female. They must encamp at a distance from 

 them, and if, perchance, one is seen in the path- 

 way, they are obliged to make a detour in order to 

 avoid her. Mr. Watson stated he had been often 

 put to great inconvenience in travelling through 

 the woods with a young native for his guide, as he 

 could never be induced to approach an encamp- 

 ment where there were any women. 



The ceremony of marriage is peculiar. In most 

 cases the parties are betrothed at an early age, 

 and as soon as they arrive at the proper age, the 

 young man claims his ' gin ' or wife. 



The women are considered as an article of pro- 

 perty, and are sold or given away by the parents 

 or relatives without the least regard to their own 

 wishes. As far as our observation went, the women 



