B y f low degrees w e beg an m u tu a lly to be pleafed w i th , and to
und erftand each other. L a n g u a g e , ind eed , is ou t o f the qu e ftion ; fo r
at th e time o f w r it in g th is , (Sep tem be r 1 7 9 6 ,) n o th in g but a barbarous
m ix tu re o f E n g lifh w i t h 't h e P o rt J a ck fon d ia le ct is fp ok en b y e ither
p a r t y ; and it m u ll be added, th a t e v en in this th e natives h a v e the
ad v an tage , com p rehen d in g , w i th m u ch grea te r aptnefs than w e can
p retend to , e v e r y th in g th e y h ea r us fa y . F rom a p re tty clo fe obfe rv -
a tio n , h ow e v e r , affifted b y th e ufe o f th e barbarous dialedt ju f t mention
ed , th e fo llo w in g particulars re fp e& in g th e n ativ e s o f N ew So u th
W a le s h a v e been co lle& ed .
No. I.
G O V E R N M E N T A N D R E L I G I O N .
Government.
W E fo u n d th e nativ es ab out B o ta n y B a y , P o r t J a ck fo n , and B rok en
B a y , liv in g in th a t ftate o f nature w h ic h m u ll h a v e been com m on to all
m en p re v io u s to th e ir u n it in g in fo c ie ty , and a c k n ow le d g in g b u t one
au th o r ity . T h e fe p eop le are d iftributed in to fam ilie s , th e head o r
fen io r o f w h ic h exadts com p lian c e from th e reft. In o u r e a r ly in te r -
co u r fe w i th th em (and in d e ed a t a m u ch later p e r io d , on ou r m e e tin g
w i th fam ilie s to w h om w e w e r e u n k n ow n ) w e w e r e a lw a y s accofted
b y the p e r fon w h o appeared to be th e eldeft o f th e p a r ty , w h ile th e
w om e n , y o u th s , and ch ild ren , w e r e k ep t a t a d iftan ce . T h e w o rd
w h ic h in th e ir lan gu a g e fignifies fa th e r w a s ap p lied to th e ir old m e n ;
and w h e n , a fte r fom e tim e , and b y clo fe o b fe rv a tion , th e y p e rce iv ed
th e a u th o r ity w i th w h ic h G o v e rn o r P h illip com m an d ed , and th e obed
ien ce w h ic h h e e x a c ted , th e y b e llow e d o n h im the d iftin g u ilh in g
ap p e lla tion o f (B e -a n n a ) o r Father. T h i s title b e in g con fe rred fo le ly
on h im (alth ou gh th e y p e rce iv ed th e au th o r ity o f maile rs o v e r their
fe rv an ts) places th e true fenfe o f the w o rd b e y o n d a d oubt, and prov e s ,
that
th a t to th o fe am o n g th em w h o en jo y ed that diftindtion be lon ged th e
a u th o r ity o f a chie f.
W h e n a n y o f thefe came in to the tow n , w e h a v e been im m ed ia te ly
info rm ed o f th e ir ar riv al, and th e y h a v e been p oin ted ou t to o u r notice
in a w h ifp e r , and w ith an eagernels o f m an n e r w h ic h , w h ile it d rew
o u r attention, imprelfed us w ith an id ea that w e w e re lo o k in g at perfons
to w h om fom e confequence w a s attached ev en am o n g th e fav a ge s o f
N ew H ollan d . A n o th e r accep ta tion o f th e w o rd B e -an n a , h ow e v e r ,
fo on became e v id e n t ; fo r w e o b fe rv ed it to be fr e q u e n t ly applied b y
ch ild ren to m en w h o w e k n ew h ad n o t a n y ch ild ren o f th e ir ow n .
O n in q u ir y w e w e re in fo rm ed , th a t in c a fe a fa th e r fh o u ld d ie , th e
neareft o f k in , o r fome d eputed fr ien d , w o u ld tak e the care o f his
ch ild ren ; and fo r this reafon th o fe ch ild ren fty le d them B e -an n a, th o u g h
in th e life tim e o f th e ir natural parent. T h is B en -n il- lo n g (the n a tiv e
w h o w a s fome time in E n g lan d ) con firm ed to us at th e death o f his firlt
w i fe , b y c o n fign in g th e care o f h is in fant d au ghte r D il-b o o n g (w h o at
th e tim e o f h e r m o th e r ’s deceafe w a s at the breaft) to h is fr ien d G o v e r n
o r P h illip , te llin g h im th a t he w a s to be com e th e B e -an n a o r F a th e r o f
hiS little g ir l. H e r e , i f the reader paufes fo r a m om en t to co n fid e r the
difference b e tw e en th e g enera l condudt o f o u r baptifmal fp on fo rs (to
w h o le duties this- cu fto rn bears m u ch re fem blan ce ) and th e hum an e
p ra c tic e q f the fe u n c iv ilifed p eop le , w i ll n o t th e com p a r ifon fuffufe h i3
ch e e k w ith fom e th in g lik e fliame, at fe e in g th e en lig h ten ed C h r iltia n fo
diftanced in the race o f h um an ity b y th e u n tu tored fa v a g e , w h o has
h ith e r to been th e objedt o f his p ity an d 'c o n tem p t ? B u t fo r r y am I to
re coiled !, and as .a fa ith fu l nar rator to be im p e lled to relate, one p articu
la r in th e ir cu ftoms that is w h o l ly ir re con cilab le w ith th e h um an e
duties w h ic h th e y h a v e preformed to th em fe lv e s in th e ab ov e in f t a n c e ;
duties w h ic h relate o n ly to tho fe ch ild ren w h o , in th e e v en t o f lo fin g
th e m oth e r , cou ld liv e w ith o u t h e r im mediate aid. A far d iffe ren t lo t
is re fe rv ed fo r fuch aslare at that time at th e brea ft, o r in a ftate o f abfo*
lute helpleflnefs, as w i l l be feen hereafter.
W e h a v e m entioned th e ir b e in g d iv id ed in to families. E a ch fam ily
has a particular p lace o f re fid ence , from w h ic h is derived: its difting
u ilh in g name. T h is is fo rm ed b y ad d in g th e m on o fy llab le G a l to the.
name o f the place : thus th e fo u th e rn lh o re o f B o ta n y B a y is called!
4 A G w e a ,,