NEW SOUTH WALES. 207 



the whole, forming a conical heap eight or nine feet high. The trees 

 on each side were marked with irregular incisions, but whether 

 intended as symbols, or merely to identify the place of sepulture, was 

 not understood. All the time this was going on, fires were kept 

 burning around the place, to drive away evil spirits, and the women 

 and children ut'ered loud lamentations, inflicting at the same time 

 wounds upon themselves. When the grave was completed, all the 

 women and children were ordered away, and the missionary, perceiv- 

 ing that it was expected that he would do the same, retired also. His 

 presumption was that they intended to give utterance to their grief, 

 and that they were ashamed to do it in his presence, or before the 

 women and children. 



The day after the burial the natives visited every spot in which 

 they recollected to have seen the deceased, and fumigated it, for the 

 purpose of driving away the evil spirits. They even went into the 

 missionaries' houses, greatly to the annoyance of the ladies. 



Their style of mourning consists in bedaubing themselves with 

 pipe-clay ; and a more hideous object than an old woman thus tricked 

 out can hardly be conceived. The body and limbs are streaked with 

 it, and the face completely covered as with a mask, in which holes 

 are left for the eyes, nostrils, and mouth. The mask is gradually 

 removed, until the last that is seen of it is a small patch on the top 

 of the head. 



They have some idea of a future state, although some assert that 

 the whole man dies, and that nothing is left of him ; while others are 

 of opinion that his spirit yet lives, either as a wandering ghost or in 

 a state of metamorphosis, animating a bird or other creature of a 

 lower order than man. 



Their opinions on religious subjects generally partake of the same 

 unsettled character, which makes it very difficult to obtain any clear 

 idea of them. The great difficulty is the unwillingness of the natives 

 to talk upon the subject, either from superstition or shame ; and it is 

 the opinion of the missionaries that no full account of their religkms 

 notions will be obtained, until one of the well-informed adults is 

 converted to Christianity, an event which is not soon to be expected. 

 The missionaries have had little or no success ; none of the adults 

 have hitherto shown any desire to embrace Christianity ; and it is 

 remarked, that there appears to be a want of susceptibility in their 

 character to religious impressions. Some of their ceremonies which 

 partook of that character have been discontinued of late years, and no 



