1870.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 155 



them. When in their jungles they are said to be very irritable. 

 One evening after we had returned from fishing, the aborigines 

 retired to the " Home" at Port Mouat, when a lad of abont 8 years 

 ordered a girl, much older than himself, to go and bring him some 

 drinking water ; as she did not move at once, he shot an arrow at 

 her which took effect just above the eyebrow. Another day one 

 small boy with a knife cut to pieces a girl's basket for some equally 

 cogent reason. 



Quarrels in the " Homes" are of frequent occurrence, but the 

 riotous ones mostly listen to the words of the elders, and become 

 quiet. If, however, one of them refuses to be appeased, the other 

 sits quite still, and does not answer him, and this mostly ends in 

 an arrow being shot near, rarely hitting him ; subsequently all is 

 over. They do not appear to be vindictive amongst themselves. 

 In November 1864 the North and South point tribes, having had a 

 misunderstanding, were induced to meet and a pig was given them 

 for a feast. However they again fell out, and the knife which had 

 been supplied to kill their food, was employed by one of the South 

 tribe to threaten the life of one of the North, and all ended in a 

 terrible row. It was some time before order was restored, when 

 they embraced and howled for a quarter of an hour. 



One of the last great quarrels with the convicts occurred in June 

 1864, and was occasioned by a murder committed in the following 

 manner. On the morning of the murder, the aborigines entered the 

 north outpost in some numbers, carrying with them their bows and 

 arrows, and begged for food, but did not obtain what they consi- 

 dered sufficient. They asked for more, which was refused, and 

 being irritated, they sought their opportunity, and while the Tolidar 

 Grirbar Sing was off his guard, J a c k o, the chief of the North 

 tribe and Moriarty, chief of the South tribe, fired at him with 

 their arrows from a few yards distance, and with fatal effect. 

 G i r b a r Sing was the man whose duty it was to punish them, a 

 class of persons not generally looked upon favourably. 



Amongst themselves they usually give up anything another may 

 wish for, so should they desire to retain an article, they secrete it.* 



* A walk with them through a bazaar is no sinecure, they want everything 

 they see, think it very hard not to get what they ask for, and steal whatever 



