83 



occurrence, the death of a person necessitates a change in the 

 name of these also, and the new names in time become fixed 

 terms in the language, instead of serving as a temporary expe- 

 dient. The effect of this when in operation amongst hundreds 

 of distinct tribes can easily be imagined. The marriage cere- 

 monies vary to some extent amongst different tribes. In some 

 cases the wives are stolen from other tribes, in others they are 

 sold or given away. In nearly all cases they are promised or 

 disposed of whilst still children or even infants, and the 

 promise is almost universally rigidly performed. If the first 

 husband should die the woman belongs to his heir — that is, a 

 brother succeeds to the wives and offspring of his deceased 

 brother if they both bear the same family name. On this some 

 remarks will be made further on. The stealing of a wife is 

 always avenged as an act of warlike aggression. Where the 

 laws relating to marriage are carried out with some degree of 

 strictness, it might be supposed that the chastity of the females 

 would be respected and preserved. This is far from being the 

 case all through the continent. On the Northern coast it is 

 most rigorously enforced, but in the Central and Southern 

 portions such a thing is not thought of. In fact the orgies 

 which the tribes carry on amongst themselves and amongst 

 other tribes which meet them on friendly terms will not bear 

 description. Mr. Eyre, who was Protector of Aborigines at 

 Moorundie in 1811, treats of this subject at some length. His 

 knowledge of this branch of the social state of the natives 

 could only be recorded in a Latin footnote ; but bad as that 

 was, it pales utterly before the horrors continually practised 

 on young females amongst the tribes which occupy the country 

 about the Peake, Tennant's Creek, Alice Springs, the Charlotte 

 Waters, and amongst the Dieyerie tribe. A more fitting 

 opportunity than the present will be taken to record the 

 details of those facts which have been communicated to the 

 writer by trustworthy authorities, and which are as singular 

 as indeed they are revolting. The marriage bond is not con- 

 sidered permanent, a husband bartering away or selling his 

 wife (mostly an old one) whenever by any means he can 

 obtain another. Of course it will be seen from this that poly- 

 gamy is universal ; indeed there is no tribe of which there is 

 any account where it does not obtain ; but the wife runs the 

 risk of losing her life if she leaves her husband, and she is 

 recaptured by him or by the tribe. 



The funeral customs which prevail amongst different tribes are 

 by no means uniform. In Western Australia the corpse is buried 

 in a grave laid out due east and west, and the face of the dead 

 person is turned to the east. The grave first, however, is purified 

 from the presence of the sorcerer who caused the death, by having 



