THE ABORIGINES OE AUSTRALIA. 267 



On the evening of the death, the wives and relatives of the deceased 

 smear the scars on their heads and faces with white chalk, and on the 

 following day with charcoal, after that again with white chalk, which 

 is allowed to remain on until the wounds are healed. After death 

 the name of the departed is never uttered, and should there be ano- 

 ther native with the same name he immediately assumes a new one. 



It would appeal 1 , however, that the mode of interment differs in 

 some cases ; for being on one occasion with an exploring party some 

 ninety miles from the settlement, we came upon three or four native 

 graves, in which it was evident that the bodies had been laid at full 

 length as the graves were long and narrow, presenting indeed much 

 the appearance of our own. 



In a letter received from a brother at Perth on the Swan Eiver, in 

 describing the Aborigines of that part of the country, he gives the 

 following account of a death scene : 



" Understanding that the native Wattup had died from the effects 

 of a spear wound in the thigh, which he had received about five 

 weeks before, I went np to see the body. I was directed to the spot 

 by the cries of the women, and the scene that presented itself there 

 was very striking, and differing from any that you ever witnessed at 

 King G-eorge's Sound. The corpse was stretched out under a large 

 gmu tree, and closely around it, an old man and a number of women 

 Avere crouched on their heels. At times they bent over the body, 

 uttering a mournful chant, and addressing it, apparently in affection- 

 ate terms ; then again they would burst forth in loud lamentations, 

 tearing their faces and hair, and exhibiting every token of the most 

 violent sorrow ; maintaining, however, throughout a regular cadence. 

 Three or four yards from these, sat an old man, probably the father 

 of the deceased, resting his head on his knees in silence. His wife 

 sat beside him with her arms thrown over his shoulders, crying most 

 piteously, and calling (as I understood it) on the dead man to return 

 to her. One or two elderly men stood at a short distance leaning on 

 their spears, attentively watching the proceedings. ]S T o other men 

 were present but those I have mentioned ; the rest appeared to be 

 collected at the foot of Mount Eliza, where they were holding a 

 noisy deliberation, concerning, I suppose some scheme of revenge. 

 I had not time to remain until the termination of the ceremony, but 

 just as I was leaving, two men came up from Mount Eliza, armed 

 with their spears, and evidently prepared for some conflict, — after 

 exchanging a few words, the mourning party broke up — the men 

 going off to the Council of War, leaving the corpse in charge of tho 



