. W e had be en to ld fo r fom e d a y s o f th e ir m a k in g grea t preparations
fo r a fig h t , and g la d ly heard th a t th e y had ch o fe ii a clear fp o t near the
to w n fo r th e p urpo fe . T h e co n ten d in g parties confifted o f m o ll o f our
S y d n e y acqua intance, and fome nativ es from the fo u th fliore o f B o ta n y
B a y , am o n g w h om w a s G om e -b o a k , a lre ad y mentioned , in p age 408.
W e repaired to th e fp o t an h o u r b e fo re .fu n - fe t , and fo u n d them feated
o p p o fite each o th e r on a le v e l p ie ce o f g ro u n d be tw e en tw o hills. A s
a p re lud e to the b u fin e fs , w e o b fe rv ed ou r fr ien d s , after h a v in g w a ited
fom e tim e , Hand u p , and each man Hoop ing d ow n , ta k e w a te r in the
h o llo w o f h is h an d , (the place ju f t be fo re th em b e in g w e t ,) w h ic h h e
d rank . A n e ld e r ly w om a n w i th a c lo ak on h e r Ihoulders, (made o f
o p o flum {kins v e r y n e a t ly few n to g e th e r ,) and p ro v id ed w i th a c lu b ,
th en ad vanced from th e o p p ofite fid e , an d , u tte r in g m u ch ab u five lang
u a g e at th e tim e , ran up to C o le -b e , w h o w a s on th e r ig h t , and' g a v e
h im w h a t I fh o u ld h a v e con fid e red a fe v e re b low o n th e h e ad , w h ic h
w i th fe em in g con tem p t h e h e ld ou t to h e r fo r th e p u rp o fe . S h e w en t
th ro u g h th e fam e ce remony- w i th th e re ft, w h o made no refiftance,
u n til Ihe came u p to Y e - r a -n i-b e , a v e r y fin e b o y , w h o flo o d o n th e
le ft . H e , n o t adm ir in g th e b low s th a t h is com pan ion s re c e iv e d , w h ic h
w e r e fo llow e d b y b lo o d , ftru g g led w i th h e r , and h ad h e no t been, v e r y
ad tiv e , I b e lie v e {he w o u ld h a v e ftabbed h im w i th his o w n fp ear, w h ic h
{he w re fted from h im . T h e men n ow ad v an c ed , and g a v e us m an y
o pp or tu n itie s o f w itn e ffin g th e ftren g th and d e x te r ity w i th w h ic h th e y
th r ew th e ir fpears, and th e qu ickn e fs o f fig h t w h ic h w a s req u ifite to
g u a rd ag ain ft th em . T h e co n te ft lafted u n til d ark , w h e n th r o w in g th e
fp e ar cou ld no lo n g e r b e a c cou n ted fa ir , and th e y bea t each o th e r w ith
c lub s , un til th e y le ft o f f b y m utua l confent. In this p a r t o f th e conteft
m a n y fe v e r e w o u n d s w e r e g iv e n , and m u ch b lo o d w a s d raw n from th e
heads o f each p a r t y ; b u t n o th in g material h ap pen ed w h ile th e y had lig h t
en o u g h to gu a rd ag ain ft th e fpear.
In th e e x e r c ife o f this w e a p o n th e y are v e r y - e x p e r t . I h a v e feen
th em ft lik e w i th c e r ta in ty at th e d iftance o f fe v e n ty meafured y ards.
T h e y are th row n w i th gre a t fo r c e , and w h e r e th e y are barbed are v e r y
fo rm id a b le in ftrumen ts . T h e w o -m e r - ra , o r th row in g - ft ic k , is a lw a y s
m a d e .ufe o f o n fu ch occafions . T h i s is a flic k ab out three fe e t lo n g ,
w i th
w i th a h o o k at on e end (and a {hell at th e o th e r , fecured b y g um ) , to
re c e iv e w h ic h there is a fmall h o le at th e h ead o f th e fpear. B o th are
h e ld in th e r ig h t h an d , the fingers o f w h ic h are p laced , tw o ab ov e th e
th row in g - ft ic k , and tw o b e tw e en it and th e {pear, at about the d iftance
o f tw o fe e t from th e h o o k . A f te r p o ifin g it fo r fom e tim e , and mea-
fu r in g w i th the e y e th e d iftance from th e objedt to be th row n at, th e
fp ear is d ifcha rged , th e th r ow in g - f t ic k rem a in in g in th e han d . O f
th e fe inftruments there are tw o k in d s j th e one, named W o -m e r - r a , is
armed w i th the {hell o f a c lam m , w h ic h th e y term K a h -d ien , and w h ic h
th e y ufe fo r th e fame 'purpofes th a t w e em p lo y a kn ife . T h e o th e r ,
w h ic h th e y name W ig - g o o n , has a h o o k , bu t n o {hell, and is roun d ed
a t th e end . W i th th is th e y d ig th e fe rn - ro o t and y am o u t o f th e
e ar th , and it is fo rm ed o f h e a v y w o o d , w h ile th e w o -m e r - ra is o n ly
part, o f a w a ttle fp lit. T h e y h a v e fe v e ra l v arie tie s o f fpears, e v e r y
diffe ren ce in th em b e in g d iftin g u iflied b y a name. S om e are o n ly
p o in ted ; others h a v e one o r m o r e barbs, e ith e r fliap ed from th e folid
p ie ce o f w o o d o f w h ic h th e fp ear is made, o r fattened on w i th g um ;
and fom e are armed w ith p ieces o f b ro k en o y fte r - ftie ll fo r fo u r o r fiv e
in ch e s from th e p oin t, and fecured b y gum . A l l the fe barbed fpears
are dan ge rous , from th e d ifficu lty o f e x t r a & in g them . O f ffiields th e y
h a v e b u t tw o forts. O n e , named E - le e -m o n g , is cu t from th e b a rk o f
th e g um tre e , and is n o t fo capable o f re fittin g th e fp ear as th e A r - r a h -
g o n g , w h ic h is fo rm ed o f fo lid w o o d , and hard ened b y fire. T h is
fliie ld is no t fo m u ch in ufe as th e e - le e -m o n g , as I im a g ine from its
grea te r w e ig h t , and perhaps alfo from th e fu p e r io r d ifficu lty th e y
meet w i th in p ro c u r in g it. O f clubs th e y ufe fe v e ral forts, fam e o f
w h ic h are o f v e r y la rge d imenfions. T h e y h a v e o n e , the head o f
w h ic h is flat, w i th a {harp p o in t in th e centre. T h e flat p art is
p ainted w i th red and w h ite ftripes from th e centre , and does no t lo o k
u n lik e w h a t th e y te rm it, G n a l- lu n g -u l- la , th e nam e g iv e n b y th em to
a m u fliro om . T h e y h a v e y e t an o th e r in ftrum en t, w h ic h th e y call
T a -w a r - ra n g . I t is about three fe e t lo n g , is n a r row , but has three
fid e s , in one o f w h ic h is the han d le , h o llow e d b y fire. T h e other fides
are ru d e ly ca rv ed w i th cu rv e d and w a v e d lines, and it is made u fe o f
in d an c in g , b e in g {truck u p on fo r th is p u rp o fe w i th a club. A n in ft ru m
en t v e r y com m on am o n g th em mutt; no t be omitted in th is a c co u n t
4 F o f