r7930 OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 23; 



tragedy, for it was attended with a great effufion of blood. It ap- 

 peared from the beft account that could be procured, that one or more 

 murders having been committed in the night, the aflaffins, who were 

 immediately known, were compelled, according to the cuftom of the 

 country, to meet the relations of the deceafed, who w T ere to avenge 

 their deaths by throwing fpears, and drawing blood for blood. One 

 native of the tribe of Cammerray, a very fine fellow, named Carradah, 

 who had dabbed another in the night, but not mortally, was obliged 

 to ftand for two evenings expofed to the fpears not only of the man 

 whom he had wounded, but of feveral other natives. He was fuf- 

 fered, indeed, to cover himfelf with a bark fhield, and he behaved 

 with the greatelt courage and refolution. Whether his principal ad- 

 verfary (the wounded man) found that he poiTefled too much defen- 

 five {kill to admit of his wounding him, or whether it was a necef- 

 fery part of his punimment, was not known with any certainty ; but 

 ©n the fecond day that Carradah had been oppofed to him and 

 his party, after having received feveral of their fpears on his fhield, 

 without fuftaining any injury, he fuffered the other to pin his left arm 

 (below the elbow) to his fide, without making any refinance ; pre- 

 vented, perhaps, by the uplifted fpears of the other natives, who could' 

 eafily have deftroyed him, by throwing at him in different, directions. 

 Carradah flood, for fome time after this, defending himfelf, although 

 wounded in the arm which held the fhield, until his adverfaries had 

 not a whole fpear left, and had retired to collecl: the fragments and 

 piece them together. On his fitting down, his left hand appeared to 

 be very much convulfed, and the principal furgeon of the fettlement 

 was of opinion that the fpear had pierced one of the nerves. The 

 buunefs was refumed when they had repaired their weapons, and the 

 fray appeared to be general, men, women, and children mingling in 

 it, giving and receiving many fevere wounds, before night put an end 

 to their warfare^ 



What rendered this fort of conteft as unaccountable as it was ex- 

 traordinary was, that friendfhip and alliance were known to fubfid; 



between 



