in to len g th s lik e the thrum s o f a m op . O n particular occafions th e y
o rn am en t themfelves w i th red and w h ite c la y , u fin g the. fo rm e r w h e n
p rep a r in g to fig h t , the latter fo r th e m ore p e ace ful amufement o f dancin
g . T h e fa fh ion o f the fe ornaments w a s le ft to each p e r fon ’ s ta fle ;
-and fom e , w h e n decorated in th e ir b e ft m anner, lo o k ed p e r f e ä ly h o r r
ib le . N o th in g cou ld appear m ore ter rible than a b ja ck and difmal
fa c e , w i th a la rge w h ite circle d rawn ro u n d each e y e . In genera l
w a v e d lin e s w e r e m ark ed d ow n each a rm , th ig h , and le g ; and in fome
th e che ek s w e r e d a u b e d ; and lines d raw n o v e r each r ib , prefented to
th e b eh o ld e r a t r u ly fpedtre -lik e figure . P re v iou s eithe r to a dance o r a
com b a t, w e a lw a y s fo u n d th em b u fily em p lo y ed in this n e ce ffa ry prelim
in a r y ; and it m u ft be o b fe rv ed , that w h e n o th e r liq u id could not
be r e a d ily p rocu red , th e y m oiften ed th e c la y w i th th e ir ow n faliv ä.
B o th fe x e s are o rnamented w i th fears u p on th e breaft, arms, and b a ck ,
w h ic h are cu t w i th b ro k en p ieces o f th e ih e ll th e y ufe at th e end o f
th e th r ow in g flick . B y k e e p in g o pen th e fe in c ifio ns , th e fle lh g row s
u p b e tw e en th e fides o f th e w o u n d , and a fte r a tim e , Ik in n in g o v e r ,
fo rm s a la rg e w a le o r feam. I h a v e feen inftances w h e re thefe fears
h a v e be en cu t to refem b le th e fe e t o f animals ; and fu ch b o y s as un d
e rw en t th e operation w h ile th e y liv e d w i th u s , appeared to be p rou d
o f th e o rn am en t, and to defpife th e p a in w h ic h th e y m u ft h a v e e n dured
. T h e ope ra tion is p e r form ed w h e n th e y are y o u n g , and u n til
th e y ad v ance in y e a rs th e fears lo o k la rg e and f u l l ; bu t on fom e o f
th e ir old men I h a v e been fc a r c e ly able to d ifeern them . A s a p r in c
ipa l o rn am en t, th e m en , on p ar ticu la r occafions , th ru ft a b o n e o r reed
th ro u g h th e feptum naß, th e h o le th ro u g h w h ic h is bo red w h e n th e y
are y o u n g . S om e b o y s w h o w e n t aw a y from us fo r a few d a y s , returned
d ign ified w i th this ftran g e o rn am en t, h a v in g , in th e mean time ,
had th e ope ra tion p e r fo rm ed u p on th em ; th e y appeared to be from
tw e lv e to fifteen y e a rs o f ag e. T h e bon e that th e y w e a r is th e fmall
b o n e in th e le g o f th e k a n g o o ro o , on e end o f w h ic h is fharp ened to a
p oin t. I h a v e feen fe v e ra l w om e n w h o h ad th e ir nofes perforated in
th is ex tra o rd in a ry manner.
T h e w om e n are, b efides, e a r ly fubjedted to an u n com m on m u tilation
o f th e tw o firft jo in ts o f th e little fin g e r o f th e le ft hand. T h e
operation is p e r form ed w h e n th e y are v e r y y o u n g , and is done
with.
w i th a h a ir , o r fome o th e r flight ligature. T h i s b e in g tied ro u n d a t
th e jo in t , th e fle lh fo on fw e lls , and in a few d a y s , th e c ircu lation b e in g
d e ftro y ed , th e fin g e r mortifies and drops off. I n e v e r faw but one in -
ftance w h e re th e fin g e r was taken o f f from the r ig h t h an d , and that
w a s o ccafion ed b y th e miftake o f th e m oth e r . B e fo re w e k n ew th em ,
w e to o k it to be th e ir marriage c e rem o n y ; but on fe e in g th e ir m u tilated
child ren w e w e r e co n v in ced o f o u r m iftak e ; and at laft le a rn ed ,
th a t thefe jo in ts o f the little fin g e r w e r e fuppofed to be in th e w a y w h e n
th e y w o u n d th e ir filh in g lines o v e r th e h an d . O n ou r e x p re ffm g a d if-
g u ft o f th e appearance, th e y a lw a y s ap p laud ed it, and faid it w a s v e r y
g o od . T h e y name it M a l-g u n ; and am o n g th e m a n y w om e n w h om
I faw , b u t v e r y few h ad th is fin g e r p e r fe ft . O n m y p o in t in g th e fe
ou t to th o fe w h o w e r e fo d ift in g u ilh e d , th e y appeared to lo o k at and
fp e ak o f th em w i th fom e d egree o f contempt.
T h e m en to o w e r e n o t w ith o u t th e ir m utilation. M o f t o f th o fe
w h o liv e d on th e fea-coaft w e fo u n d to w a n t th e r ig h t fro n t to o th ;
fom e , w h om w e met in th e in te r ior p art o f th e c o u n t r y , had n o t be en
fubjedted to th e au th o r ity o f the tr ib e o f C am -m e r - r a y -g a l; b u t a p articu
la r a c cou n t o f th e ce remonies ufed on th is o cc afion w i l l be g iv e n
u n d e r th e ar ticle Cujioms and Manners.
I n o ticed b u t few d eformities o f p e r fon am o n g th em ; o n ce o r tw ic e
I h a v e feen on th e fand the p r in t o f in v e r ted feet. R o u n d Ihoulders o r
h um p -b a ck ed p eop le I n e v e r faw . S om e w h o w e r e lam e , and affifted
th em fe lv e s w i th flic k s , h a v e be en m e t w i th ; b u t th e ir lamenefs m ig h t
p roce ed from fpear w o u n d s , o r b y ac cid ent from fire ; fo r n e v e r w e r e
w om e n fo in a tten tiv e to th e ir y o u n g as th e fe . W e o ften h eard o f
ch ild ren b e in g in ju red b y fire, w h ile th e m oth e r la y fa ft afleep b efid e
th em , the fe p eop le b e in g e x tr em e ly d ifficult to aw a k en w h e n o n ce
afleep. A v e r y fine little g ir l , b e lo n g in g to a m an w e l l k n o w n and
m u ch b e lov ed am o n g u s , o f th e name o f C o le -b e , h ad tw o o f its toes
b u rn t o ff, and the fin ew s o f th e le g c o n t ra& e d in one n ig h t, b y ro llin g
in to a fii;e ou t o f its m o th e r ’ s arms, w h ile th e y b o th la y afleep.
T h e i r fig h t is p e cu lia r ly fin e , indeed th e ir e x iften c e v e r y o ften depends
u p on the a c cu ra c y o f i t ; fo r a Ih o r t - fig h ted m an (a misfor tune
u n k n ow n to th em , and no t y e t in trod uced b y fa lh io n , n o r re lie ved b y
th e u fe o f a glafs) w o u ld n e v e r b e able to d e fen d h im fe lf from th e ir
4 b fpears,