BY GEEABD KEEFFT. 373 



with fcheir dogs, gnaw at the same bone with them, and though 

 they do not feed them well, the kind treatment makes up for the 

 rest ; and as I mentioned before, a well-bred dog left with 

 blackfellows for a few days, is a lost dog for ever. 



It has been stated that they were in the habit of killing their 

 aged men and women ; this, however, must be a mistake, as I 

 have noticed them to carry an old man about from place to 

 place, who had been a cripple for 8 or 10 years. Cases of 

 insanity are, I believe, of very rare occurrence ; though I remem- 

 ber a single instance, a boy about 14 years of age was pointed 

 out to me as a " silly boy : " but I had not sufficient time to 

 observe him, he played football with the other boys of the tribe 

 and appeared to be the most expert of them. 



Though they have not the faintest idea of religion, they are 

 yet very superstitious : the universal belief that every death in 

 their own little circle is caused by a member of a neighbouring 

 tribe, and that vengeance will be taken accordingly is one of the 

 principal causes perhaps of their rapid disappearance from 

 among us. As soon as a native has breathed his last, messengers 

 are sent to friendly families in the neighbourhood, and if bad 

 news travels fast in civilised countries, it appears to travel much 

 faster in the Australian bush. It is only with great reluctance 

 that they pronounce the name of a departed friend, and if their 

 wailings and the personal chastisement they inflict upon them- 

 selves, upon such occasions are proofs of their sorrow, their 

 feelings must be intense. 



The men seldom if ever wail, though they often inflict fearful 

 gashes, principally upon their heads, mixing the blood with 

 gypsum and thus cause the formation of a thick crust or skull cap 

 which is frequently renewed. I have noticed a fine young fellow 

 mourning the death of a young girl, (neither sister nor bride), 

 stretch like Mucius Scaevola his right arm into the fire until 

 that limb was almost roasted, the skin cracked and hanging 

 around it in large patches. 



The women perform the noisy part of the business, howling 

 incessantly for days and weeks, and only leaving off" during meal 

 time, and when tired out they fall asleep for a few hours. The 

 deeper they mourn the more gypsum is laid on, so that some- 



