Ch. iii. lowest Stage of Human Society. 29 



gether ; and, in the season, add the eggs of this 

 insect.* 



In a country, the inhabitants of which are driven 

 to such resources for subsistence, where the sup- 

 ply of animal and vegetable food is so extremely 

 scanty, and the labour necessary to procure it is 

 so severe, it is evident, that the population must 

 be very thinly scattered in proportion to the ter- 

 ritory. Its utmost bounds must be very narrow. 

 But when we advert to the strange and barbarous 

 customs of these people, the cruel treatment of 

 their women, and the difficulty of rearing children; 

 instead of being surprised that it does not more 

 frequently press to pass these bounds, we shall be 

 rather inclined to consider even these scanty re- 

 sources as more than sufficient to support all the 

 population that could grow up under such circum- 

 stances. 



The prelude to love in this country is violence, 

 and of the most brutal nature. The savage se- 

 lects his intended wife from the women of a differ- 

 ent tribe, generally one at enmity with his own. 

 He steals upon her in the absence of her protec- 

 tors, and having first stupified her with blows of 

 a club, or wooden sword, on the head, back, and 

 shoulders, every one of which is followed by a 

 stream of blood, he drags her through the woods 

 by one arm, regardless of the stones and broken 

 pieces of trees that may lie in his route, and 

 anxious only to convey his prize in safety to his 



* Collins's Account of New South Wales, Appendix, p. .mS. 



