liv in g w i th h im and atten d in g o n h im w h e re v e r h e w en t . O n e named
B a - ran g -a - ro o , w h o w a s o f th e tr ibe o f C am -m e r - ra y , (B en -n il- lo n g
h im fe lf w a s a W a h n - g a l,) liv ed w i th h im at th e time he w a s fe ized and
b ro u g h t a cap tiv e to th e fettlement w i th Co le -be ; and before h e r death
h e had b ro u g h t o f f from B o ta n y B a y , b y the v io len c e b efore defcribed,
G o - ro o -b a r - ro o -b o o l- lo , th e d au g hte r o f an old man named M e t - ty , a
n a tiv e o f th a t d i f t r i f t ; and Ihe con tin ued w i th h im un til his departure
fo r E n g lan d . W e w e r e to ld , on the banks o f the H aw k e fb u r y , that all
th e m en th e re , and in lan d , had tw o w iv e s . C o le -b e , B en -n il- lo n g ’ s
fr ie n d , had tw o fem ale com pan ion s ; and w e fo u n d , indeed, more in-
ftances o f p lu ra lity o f w iv e s than o f m o n o g am y . I do no t recolle£t
e v e r n o tic in g ch ild ren b y bo th ; and obfe rv ed , that in gen e ra l, as m igh t
be e xp e c te d , th e tw o w om e n w e r e a lw a y s je a lo u s o f and q u a r re llin g
w i th each other. I h a v e heard th em fa y , that the firft w ife claimed a
p r io r ity o f atta chment and e x c lu fiv e r ig h t to the co n ju g a l embrace ;
w h ile th e fe con d o r la tte r ch o ic e w a s com pelled to be th e Have and
d ru d g e o f both.
C h a ft ity w a s a v ir tu e in w h ic h th e y ce r ta in ly did no t p rid e th em -
fe lv e s ; at lea ft, w e k n ew w om e n w h o , fo r a lo a f o f bread, a blanke t, o r
a fh ir t, g a v e u p a n y c laim to it , w h en eithe r w a s offered Try a w h ite
m a n ; and m an y w h ite m en w e r e fo u n d w h o held out th e temp ta tion.
S e v e ra l g ir ls , w h o w e r e p ro te fte d ita the fe ttlem en t, had no t a n y o b je c tio
n to p a llin g th e n ig h t on board o f Ihips, th o u g h fom e had learned
fh am e en o u g h (fo r lhame w a s no t n a tu ra lly in h e ren t in th em ) to con ce
a l, on th e ir la n d in g , th e fp oils th e y had procured d u r in g th e ir fta y .
T h e y h ad alfo d ifcov e red th a t w e th o u g h t it lh am e fu l to be feen n a k e d ;
and I h a v e o b ferv ed m a n y o f th em e x t r em e ly referv ed and delicate in
th is re fp e ft w h e n b efore us ; bu t w h e n in th e p re fen ce o f o n ly th e ir
o w n p e o p le , p e r fe& ly in d iffe ren t ab out th e ir appearance.
No. VI.
C U S T O M S A N D M A N N E R S .
D U R I N G the tim e o f p ar tu r ition the fe p eo p le fuffer n one bu t females
to be prefent. W a r - r e -w e e r , B e n n illo n g ’s filte r , b e in g ta k en in lab ou r
in th e tow n , an o p p o r tu n ity offered o f o b fe r v in g th em in th a t c r itical
ju n d tu r e , o f w h ic h fom e o f o u r w om en , w h o w e r e fa v o u r ite s w ith
th e g ir l, w e re defired to a v a il th em fe lv e s ; and from th em w e lea rned ,
th a t d u r in g h e r la b o u r one fem a le , B o o - r o o n g , w a s em p lo y ed in p o u r in
g cold w a te r from tim e to time on th e ab d om en , w h ile an o the r,
ty in g one end o f a fmall lin e ro u n d W a r - r e -w e e r ’ s n e ck , w i th the
o th e r end rubb ed h e r ow n lips un til th e y b led. S h e d e riv ed no adtual
alfiftance from th o fe who. w e re ab out he r , the ch ild com in g in to th e
w o r ld b y th e foie efforts, o f n a tu r e ; n e ith e r d id a n y one re c e iv e it
from h e r ; b u t , h a v in g le t it d ro p , one o f o u r w om en d iv id ed th e
um b ilica l c o r d ; after w h ic h , Ihe retired to a fmall h o le w h ic h h ad
b e en prepared fo r h e r , o v e r w b lc b f h e fat un til th e afte r -b ir th to o k
place. T h e p e r fon w h o cu t th e n a v e l- ft r in g w a lh e d th e ch ild , w h ic h
Ihe re a d ily p e rmitted , th o u g h B o o - ro o n g and th e o th e r nativ es o b je cted
t o it. She appeared m u ch e x h a u fted , and, b e in g fa in t, fe ll aerofs
a fire th a t w a s in the p lace , b u t w i th o u t re c e iv in g a n y in ju r y .
I faw B en n illo n g ’ s w i fe a few hours after Ihe had be en d e liv e red o f
a ch ild . T o m y grea t fu rp r ife Ihe w a s w a lk in g ab out alon e , and
p ic k in g up flick s to mend h e r fire. T h e in fant, w h o fe Ik in appeared
to h a v e a red d ilh ca ft, w a s ly in g in a p iece of. fo ft b a rk o n the g ro u n d ,
the um b ilica l cord d ep en d in g ab out th re e in che s from th e n a v e l.
I remained w i th h e r fo r fome tim e , d u r in g w h ic h - Ih e w a s en d ea v ou r in
g to g e t it o f f ; to e ffe c t w h ic h Ihe made ufe o f th e fmall bon e o f the
le g o f th e k a n g o o ro o , rou n d th e p o in t o f w h ic h B e n n illo n g had rolled
fom e p u n k , fo that it lo o k ed n o t u n lik e th e b u tton o f a fo il. S h e
h e ld it e v e r y n o w and th en to th e fire , th en ap p lied and preffed it to
th e n a v e l u n til it cooled. T h is w a s p e r fe ve red in , till th e m o th e r
4 c th o u g h t