164 * PHYSICAL INVESTIGATION. [PART I. 



Small-pox carried off in some parts, particularly in New South 

 Wales not long after the year 1 788, the sixth to the third part 

 of the natives ; though taught by experience they left off the 

 cold water cure, and applied a more appropriate mode of treat- 

 ment. 1 Small-pox also caused great devastations in the interior, 2 

 as well as the measles and syphilis. 3 Even the clothing fur- 

 nished by the colonists often proved injurious to them ; from 

 having become accustomed to woollen coverings they felt the 

 want of them when again deprived of these articles. 



Infanticide, especially of girls, is frequent : hence the propor- 

 tionately small number of women. 4 This proceeds partly from 

 superstition, partly from the desire to escape the trouble of rear- 

 ing them, and sometimes from revenge against the faithless 

 father, especially if he be an European. The great mortality 

 of the children seems also to be caused by the negligence of 

 the parents, and inappropriate diet. Turnbull asserts that 

 three-fourths of the children do not attain the fourth year. 

 Grey 5 does not think that the mortality is great, though 

 much greater than in Europe ; he remarks, also, that suckling 

 is continued until the third year. He knew 41 women whose 

 children amounted to 188. The average number of children in 

 a family is, according to Eyre, about five, of which two only 

 are brought up. There are, however, instances of a woman 

 having nine children. 6 This is corroborated in other races. 

 The inhabitants of the North African desert are equally distin- 

 guished by their small number of children, about two on the 

 average. 7 It is more rare to find a Hottentot woman with six, 

 than the wife of a colonist with twelve, children. 8 When, how- 

 ever, well-treated and rendered comfortable, the Hottentot 

 women are very prolific, both in their intercourse with the 



1 Wilkes, ii, p. 184 ; Baker, " Sydney and Melbourne/' p. 148, 1845 ; Bennet, 

 " Wanderings in N. S. Wales," i, p. 154, 1834. 



2 Mitchell, " Three exped.," i, p. 216, 1838. 



3 Darwin, " Naturalists' Voyage," ii, p. 213, 1844; Eyre, ii, p. 380. 



4 Austr. felix," p. 131, BerL, 1849. 



5 " Journals of two exped. in Austr.," ii, p. 251, 1841. 



6 " Austr. felix," p. 130. 



7 Eichardson, " Trav. in the Sahara," ii, p. 427, 1848. 



8 Burehell, -* E. in d. Innere von Siidafrika," ii, p. 175, 1822. 



