NATIVE PUNISHMENTS. 
389 
ber of friends of the individual injured ; otherwise 
it is made a cause of quarrel between tribes, and a 
battle or disturbance of some kind takes place. This 
appears to be one great point of distinction between 
the practice of some of the tribes in Southern and 
Western Australia. Captain Grey says in reference 
to the latter place, (vol. ii. p. 243.) 
“ Any other crime may be compounded for, by the criminal 
appearing and submitting himself to the ordeal of having spears 
thrown at him by all such persons as conceive themselves to have 
been aggrieved, or by permitting spears to be thrust through cer- 
tain parts of his body ; such as through the thigh, or the calf of 
the leg, or under the arm. The part which is to be pierced by 
a spear, is fixed for all common crimes, and a native who has 
incurred this penalty, sometimes quietly holds out his leg for the 
injured party to thrust his spear through.’’ 
This custom does not appear to hold among the 
tribes of South Australia, with whom I have come 
in contact ; but I have often been told by natives of 
tribes in New South Wales, that they practised it, 
although an instance of the infliction of the punish- 
ment never came under my own observation. 
Injuries, when once overlooked, are never revenged 
afterwards. Tribes may compel members to make 
restitution, as in the case of stealing a wife ; but I 
have never known an instance of one of their 
number being given up to another tribe, for either 
punishment or death. Occasionally they have been 
induced to give up guilty parties to Europeans; but 
