-Account of the New Colony of Western Australia. [Oct. 



many of them have spear wounds in the legs or thighs, inflic ed by 

 their husbands. The women are very useful to them, not only in pro- 

 curing food, but also in preparing their cloaks, building their huts, and 

 other menial offices. They possess few utensils, and these are of the 

 rudest construction ; a piece of soft baik, tied at each end, serves 

 for a drinking cup; the claw of a kangaroo they use for a needle, and 

 through a hallow rush, or the wing bone of a bird (neveel), 

 they suck the water, when it cannot be conveniently reach- 

 ed with their mouth. Polygamy is a general practice amongst 

 them; one man sometimes having many wives. The girls appear to 

 be at the disposal of the fa'her, and are generally bespoke in their 

 infancy ; even before they are born we are told they were betrothed, 

 if they prove to be females. The persons to whom the girls are 

 betrothed are not ur.frequenlly men of middle or advanced age, and 

 possessing already several wives; they are, however, often more equal- 

 ly matched. Like those of other savage tribes, the women suffer little 

 from child-bearing, and even the next day walk out to seek their food 

 as usual. For the first few weeks the child is carried on the left arm 

 in a fold of the cloak, but subsequently is suspended on the shoulders; 

 until they can run alone, they are not clothed. In cases of twins one 

 of the children is killed (of ditferent sexes, the female being preserved), 

 the reasons assigned for which measure are that a woman has not 

 sufficient milk for two children, and cannot carry them and seek her 

 food. 



When individuals quarrel, it is taken up by their respective 

 families ; when a man is killed, his tribe instantly sets about 

 revenging his death, but they are not particular whether they 

 kill the principal offender or any other of his tribe. This feel- 

 ing of retaliation is, however, extended much farther ; for if 

 a man be killed by accident, the friends of the deceased will im- 

 pute his death to some bulgal (or doctor) of an adverse tribe, 

 and kill an individual belonging to it in retaliation. Also when a man 

 is seriously ill, and fancies he shall not recover, he will attempt to kill 

 some body, in hopes thereby of recovering. In their personal con- 

 flicts, they use their hammers, throw ing-sticks, and towks, to strike 

 with, and the blows therewith inflicted would doubtless frequently 

 be fatal, but they seem incapable of giving a heavy blow, and strike 

 more like women. For depredations in each others grounds, or any 

 slight cause, they are contented with spearing through the legs or 

 thighs, and do not attempt to kill each other, and the moment one of 

 the party is wounded the engagement ceases. 



