SIGNALS BY SMOKE. 7 



sent at the murder were allowed to partake of this ; 

 the morsel was supposed to make them more brave. 

 A dance was then commenced, during- which the 

 heads were kicked along- the ground, and the savage 

 excitement of the dancers almost amounted to 

 frenzy. The skulls were ultimately hung- up on 

 two cross sticks near the camp, and allowed to 

 remain there undisturbed. 



In the beginning- of 1849 a party of Badulegas 

 who had spent two months on a friendly visit to the 

 natives of Muralug- treacherously killed an old Ita- 

 leg-a woman, married to one of their hosts. Two of 

 her brothers from Banks Island were staying- with 

 her at the time, and one was killed, but the other 

 manag-ed to escape. The heads were carried off to 

 Badu as trophies. This treacherous violation of the 

 laws of hospitality was in reveng-e for some petty 

 injury which one of the Badu men received from an 

 Ita black several years before. 



When a larg-e fire is made by one tribe it is often 

 intended as a signal of defiance to some neighbour- 

 ing- one — an invitation to fight — and may be con- 

 tinued daily for weeks before hostiUties commence ; 

 it is answered by a similar one. Many other signals 

 by smoke are in use : for example, the presence of 

 an enemy upon the coast — a wish to communicate 

 with another party at a distance— or the want of 

 assistance — may be denoted by making a small fire, 

 which, as soon as it has given out a Httle column of 

 smoke, is suddenly extinguished by heaping sand 



