N E W S O U T H WALES. 
from unpleafing. The men very readily gave their 
affiftance to the Englifli in making a fire, and behaved 
in the mofi: friendly manner. In a bay where Governor 
Phillip and his company landed to draw the feine, a num- 
ber of the natives a8:ain came to them. It was now firft 
obferved by the Gover; '^r that the women in general 
had lofi: two joints from the little finger of the left hand. 
As thefe appeared to be all married wom.en, he at firft 
conjectured this privation to be a part of the marriage 
ceremony ; but going afterwards into a hut where were 
feveral women and children, he faw a girl of five or fix 
years of age whofe left hand was thus mutilated ; and 
at the fame time an old woman, and another who ap- 
peared to have had children, on both of whom all the 
fingers were perfedt. Several inftances were after- 
wards obferved of women with child, and of others that 
were, evidently wives, who had not lofi: the two joints? 
and of children from whom they had been cut. What- 
ever be the occafion of this mutilation, it is performed 
on females only ; and confidering the imperfe6lion of 
their infcruments, muft be a very painful operation. 
Nothing has been feen in the pofi^effion of thefe people 
that is at all calculated for performing foch an amputa- 
tion, except a fiiell fixed to a fiiort Hick, and ufed ge- 
nerally for pointing their fpears, or for feparating the 
oyfters from the rocks. More fingers than one are never 
s- 
