MEN IN WOMEN'S PETTICOATS. 557 



cut on the elbow, that looked like the blow of a 

 hatchet. This Dr. Muirhcad dressed for him, 

 and he did not seem to think much of it. From 

 some of the other marks, several of them had evi- 

 dently had a very narrow escape. It seemed as if 

 they had seen the arrow coming, and avoided it by 

 twisting the body as the Australians avoid spears. 

 They brought for sale several of their war arrows 

 that had been used and spoilt in the skirmish. 

 These were much larger and finer than any we had 

 before seen, being highly carved and ornamented, 

 and having a small bone point and barb, like that on 

 the Australian spear (page 112), but smaller. We 

 found that several of the men had now petticoats 

 like the women, worn either to deceive their 

 enemies in the battle, or else put on to come on 

 board ship with, for the purpose of concealing 

 plunder. We actually detected one or two putting 

 them to the latter use, and as this morning we lost 

 both our carving knives out of the gun-room, we 

 vehemently suspected master Duppa, whom we after- 

 wards remembered to have seen prowling about 

 below wearing a petticoat. 



Both Mammoos and Seewai now said thev would 

 go with us to Dowdee if we would stay till to- 

 morrow, as the women were out collecting ketai in 

 order to take with them as sea stock, and Captain 

 Blackwood determined to give them another trial. 



We took advantage of the delay to enjoy a good 

 walk over the island, and the cutter being got readv 



vol. t s 



