th a t at th e la ft d a y th e v a r io u s d is jo in ted bones o f m en fhall find out
e a ch its p rop e r ow n e r , and be re -u n ited ?— T h e fa v a g e here treads
c lo fe u p on th e fo otftep s o f th e C h r iftian .
T h e nativ es w h o in h ab it the h a rb ou r to th e n o r thw a rd , ca lled
b y us P o rt Step h en s , be lie v ed th a t fiv e w h ite m en w h o w e re call: aw a y
am o n g th em (as has b e en b e fo re fh ew n ) had fo rm e r ly been th e ir
c o u n t rym en , and to o k one o f th em to th e g ra v e w h e r e , h e told h im ,
th e b o d y h e at that tim e o c cu p ied had been inter red . I f th is a c co u n t,
g iv e n us b y men ■ w h o m a y w e l l be fu p p o fed to deal in th e marv e llous ,
can be depend ed u p o n , h o w m u ch m ore ign o ran t are th e n ativ e s o f
P o r t Stephens , w h o liv e o n ly th ir ty leagues to th e n o r thw a rd o f us,
th a n th e n ativ e s o f and about P o r t J a ck fon |
T h e y o u n g p eop le w h o refided in ou r houfe s w e r e v e r y d efirous o f
g o in g to ch u r ch on S u n d a y s , b u t k n ew n o t fo r w h a t p u rp o fe w e attended.
I h a v e o ften feen th em tak e a b o o k , and w ith m u ch fuccefs
im ita te th e .c le rg ym a n in his m anner, ( fo r -b e tte r and readier mimics
can n o w h e r e b e fo u n d ,) la u g h in g and e n jo y in g th e ap plaufe w h ic h th e y
re c e iv ed .
I rem em b e r to h a v e feen i l l a n ew s -p ap e r o r p am ph le t an ac co u n t
o f a n a t iv e th r o w in g h im fe lf in th e w a y o f a man w h o w a s ab out to
Ih o o t a c r o w ; and th e p e r fon w h o w r o te th e ac co u n t d rew an in fe
ren c e , th a t th e bird w a s an objefit o f w o r lh ip : but I can w i th con fid
en ce affirm, th a t .fo fa r f r om d re a d in g fio fee a c r ow k illed , th e y are
v e r y fo n d o f e a tin g i t , and ta k e th e fo llo w in g p a r ticular m e th od to
enfnare th a t b ird : a n ativ e w i l l ftre tch h im fe lf on a ro ck as i f afleep in
th e fu n , h o ld in g a p ie ce o f fifh in his o p en h an d ; th e bird , be it
h aw k o r c r ow , fe e in g the p r e y , and n o t o b fe rv in g a n y m o tio n in the
n a tiv e , p oun ce s on th e fifh , an d , in the in ftan t o f fe iz in g it ,, is c a u g h t
b y th e n a tiv e , w h o fo o n th row s h im on th e fire and makes a meal o f
h im .
T h a t th e y h a v e ideas o f a diftimftion b e tw e en good and bad is
e v id en t from th e ir h a v in g terms in th e ir lan gu a g e fign ifican t o f the fe
q ua lifie s . T h u s , th e f t in g - ra y w a s (w£e-re) b a d ; it w a s a fifh o f w h ic h
th e y n e v e r ate. T h e p a t-ta -g o -ran g o r k a n g o o ro o w a s (bo od-y e r -re )
g o o d , and th e y ate it w h e n e v e r th e y w e r e fo rtun a te e n o u g h to k ill one
o f the fe animals.
T o
T o e x a lt the fe p eo p le at all ab ov e the brute creation , it is n e c e fla ry
to fh ew th a t th e y had the g ift o f rea fon , and that th e y k n ew the
d ift in ft io n b e tw e en right and wrong, as w e l l as b e tw e en w h a t fo od
w a s g o o d and w h a t w a s bad. O f the fe latter qua lities th e ir fenfes
in fo rm ed th em ; but the k n ow le d g e o f r ig h t and w r o n g co u ld o n ly
p roc e ed from reafon. It is tru e , th e y had n o d ift in ftio n in terms fo r
the fe qualities— w e e - r e and b o o d -y e r -r e a lik e im p ly in g w h a t w a s 'g o o d
an d bad, and r ig h t and w r o n g . In fian c e s h ow e v e r w e r e n o t w a n t in g
o f th e ir u fin g th em to d efcr ibe th e fenfations o f th e m in d as w e ll as o f
th e fen fe s ; th us th e ir enemies w e r e w e e - r e ; th e ir fr ien d s b o o d -y e r -r e .
O n ou r fp e a k in g o f can n iba lifm , th e y e xp re fled grea t h o r ro r at the
m en tio n , and faid it w a s w e e -re . O n fe e in g a n y o f ou r p e o p le p u n ifh -
ed o.r rep ro v ed fo r ill- tre a tin g th em , th e y ex p re fled th e ir ap p rob a tion ,
and faid it w a s b o o d -y e r -r e , it w a s r ig h t . M id n ig h t murd e rs , th o u g h
fr e q u e n t ly pradtifed am o n g th em w h e n e v e r p aflion o r re v en g e w e r e
u p p e rm o ft, th e y r e p ro b a te d ; b u t ap p laud ed a£bs o f k in d n e fs and
g e n e ra lity , fo r o f b o th thefe th e y w e r e capable. A man w h o w o u ld
n o t Hand to h a v e a fp ear th row n at h im , b u t ran aw a y , w a s a c ow a rd ,
je e - ru n , and w e e -re . B u t th e ir k n ow le d g e o f th e d ifference b e tw e en
r ig h t and w r o n g ce r ta in ly n e v e r e x ten d ed b e y o n d th e ir e x iften c e in
th is w o r ld ; n o t le ad in g th em to b e lie v e th a t th e p ra c tic e o f e ith e r had
a n y re lation to th e ir fu tu re fta te ; th is w a s m an ife ft from th e ir id ea o f
q u it tin g this w o r ld , o r ra the r o f en te r in g th e n e x t , in th e fo rm o f little
ch ild ren , u n d e r w h ic h fo rm th e y w o u ld re -a p p e a r in this.
No. II.
S T A T U R E A N D A P P E A R A N C E .
W e o bferv ed b u t f e w m en o r w om e n am o n g th em w h o could be faid
to be ta ll, and ftill few e r w h o w e r e w e ll made. I o n ce faw a dw a r f,
a fem ale , w h o , w h e n Ihe flo o d u p r ig h t, m ea fu red ab ou t fo u r fe e t tw o
in che s . N o n e o,f h e r lim bs w e r e d ifp ro p o r tio n ed , n o r w e re th e features
, o f