76 AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES. 



them to spear him. None, however, dared to meddle with him. On asking 

 members of his tribe how many lives he had destroyed, the reply was that he 

 took one at almost every meeting. When he was seen approaching a meeting 

 the women wept, as they were certain he would put someone to death before he 

 left. If he received a scratch, or had blood drawn from him, he would kill 

 some person in revenge. The old savage grew quite blind and helpless in his old 

 age, and the natives say, that, instead of putting him to death, which they could 

 easily have done, they left his blindness to punish him for his innumerable murders 

 and cruelties. 



Persons accused of wrong-doing get one month's notice to appear before the 

 assembled ti'ibes and be tried, on pain of being outlawed and killed. When a 

 man has been charged with an ofl'ence, he goes to the meeting armed with two 

 war spears, a flat light shield, and a boomerang. If he is found guilty of a 

 private •wrong he is painted white, and — along with his brother or near male 

 relative, who stands beside him as his second, with a heavy shield, a liangle, and 

 a boomerang — he is placed opposite to the injured person and his friends, who 

 sometimes number twenty warriors. These range themselves at a distance of 

 fifty yards from him, and each individual throws four or five gneerin spears and 

 two boomerangs at him simultaneously, ' like a shower.' If he succeeds in 

 warding them off, his second hands him his heavy shield, and he is attacked 

 singly by his enemies, who deliver each one blow 'with a liangle. As blood must 

 be spilt to satisfy the injured party, the trial ends on his being hit. After the 

 wound has been dressed, all shake hands and are good friends. If the accused 

 person refuses to appear and be tried, he is outlawed, and may be killed ; and his 

 brother or nearest male relative is held responsible, and must submit to be 

 attacked with boomerangs. If it turns out that the man was innocent, the 

 relatives have a right to retaliate on the family of the accuser on the first 

 opportunity. 



Should a person, through bad conduct, become a constant anxiety and 

 trouble to the tribe, a consultation is held, and he is put to death. Liars are 

 detested ; and should anyone, through lying, get others into trouble, he is 

 punished with the boomerang and liangle. Women and young people, for the 

 same fault, are beaten with a stick. 



Long ago the Bung'andtetch natives, who inhabited the Mount Gambler 

 district, were looked upon as wild blacks and very malevolent, for they sent 

 lightning and rain to injure the associated tribes. In retaliation, the latter 



