o f th e ir weapons' o f h o f t ili ty , fo r fu c h , I fe a r , fom e o f ou r miferable
ftr a g g lin g convidts h a v e fo u n d it to th e ir co ft,' th o u g h it g en e ra lly is
ap p lied to m ore p e a c e fu l purpofes. T h is is th e M o -g o * , or fton e -
hatche t. T h e ftone is fo u n d in th e {hallows at th e u p p e r part o f the
H aw k e fb u r y , and a h and le b e in g fix ed ro u n d th e head o f it w ith g um ,
th e u n d e r p art is b ro u g h t b y fr ic tio n to an ed ge fine en ou gh to d iv id e
th e b a rk o f fu ch trees as th e y ta k e th e ir canoes o r h unters huts from ,
an d e v en th e fhields w h ic h are cu t from the b o d y o f the tree itfelf.
T h e r e is no d oubt o f th e ir re a d ily a p p ly in g this as a w e a p o n , w h e n n o
o th e r offers to th e ir neceffities.
I t m u ft b e o b fe rv ed , th a t th e p r in cip al tr ibes h a v e th e ir p e cu liar w e a p
on s . M o d o f us h ad made co lle ction s o f th e ir fpears, th row in g - ftic k s ,
& c . as o pp or tun itie s o c c u r r e d ; and o n Ih ew in g th em to ou r S y d n e y
fr ien d s , th e y h a v e to ld us th a t fu ch a o n e w a s ufed b y the p eo p le w h o
liv e to th e fo u thw a rd o f B o ta n y B a y ; th a t an o th e r be lon g ed to th e
tr ib e o f C am -m e r - ra y . T h e fp e ar o f th e w o o d tr ibes, B e -d ia -g a l,
T u - g a - g a l , and B o o - ro o -b ir - ro n g -g a l, w e re k n ow n from b e in g armed
w i th bits o f fto n e , inftead o f b ro k en oyfter-ftiells. T h e lines w o rn
ro u n d th e w a ift b y th e m en be lon g ed to a p e cu lia r tr ibe , and came
in to th e hand s o f others eithe r b y g if t o r p lund er. T h e nets ufed b y
th e p e o p le o f th e coaft fo r c a r r y in g th e ir filh , lin e s , & c . differed in th e
m e ih from th o fe ufed b y th e w o o d n a t iv e s ; and th e y e x ten d th is p e cu lia
r ity e v en to th e ir dances, th e ir fo n g s , and th e ir d ia le d .
A m o n g o th e r cu ftom s w h ic h the fe p eop le in v a r ia b ly praCtife, is o n e
th a t is h ig h ly d e fe rv in g o f n o tic e , as it carries w i th it fome id ea o f retr
ib u tiv e ju ft ic e .
T h e fh ed d in g o f b lood is a lw a y s fo llow e d b y p u n ifhm en t, th e p a r ty
o ffen d in g b e in g com pe lled to e x p o fe his p e r fon t o the fpears o f all w h o
ch o o fe to th r ow a t h im ; fo r in the fe p u niftim en ts th e ties o f c o n fa n -
g u in it y o r fr ien d lh ip are o f n o ava il. O n th e death o f a p e r fon , w h e th e r
male o r fem a le , o ld o r y o u n g , th e fr ien d s o f th e deceafed muft be
p u n ifh e d , as i f th e death w e r e o ccafion ed b y th e ir negleCt. T h is is
fome tim e s ca rried fa r th e r than the re feems o cc afion fo r , o r th an can be
re con c ila ble w i th h um an ity .
* A reprefentation o f this and other inftruments is given in the Vignette in page 439.
A f te r
A f te r th e mu rd e r o f Y e l - lo -w a y b y W a t - te -w a l, his w id ow N o o -
r o o - in g b e in g o b lig ed , a c co rd in g to th e cu ftom o f h e r co u n t ry , to
a v en g e h e r h u fb an d ’ s death on fome o f the relations o f th e murd erer,
m e e tin g w i th a little gir l named G o -n a n g -g o o - l ie , w h o w a s fom ew a y
related to W a t - te -w a l, w a lk ed w i th h e r and tw o o th e r g ir ls to a retired
p lace , w h e re w i th a c lu b and a p o in ted fton e th e y bea t h e r fo c ru e lly ,
th a t Ihe w a s b ro u g h t in to th e tow n a lm oft dead. In th e head w e r e f ix
o r fe v en deep in c ifio n s , and one ear w a s d iv id ed to the b on e , w h ic h ,
from the nature o f th e in ftrum en t w i th w h ic h th e y beat h e r , w a s m u ch
in ju red .. T h is p o o r ch ild w a s in a v e r y d angerous w a y , and d ied in a
f e w day s afterward s. T h e n ativ e s to w h om th is c ircum ftan ce w a s
m en tion ed expreffed little o r n o con c e rn at it, b u t feem ed to th in k it
r ig h t , n e ce ffa ry , and in e v ita b le ; and w e u n d e r fto od th a t w h e n e v e r w o m
en h a v e o cc afion fo r this fan g u in a ry re v en g e , th e y n e v e r e x e rc ife it
b u t on th e ir ow n fe x , n o t d a r in g to ftr ik e a male. N o o - ro o - in g , p e r c
e iv in g th a t h e r treatment o f G o -n a n g -g o o - lie d id n o t m e e t o u r ap p rob
a tion , d enied h a v in g beaten h e r , and faid it w a s th e o th e r girls ; b u t
fu ch m en as w e con v e r fed w i th on th e fu b je c t affured us it w a s N o o - r o o - .
in g , and added, th a t Ihe h ad done no m ore th an What cu ftom o b lig ed
h e r to. T h e little v ic t im o f h e r re v en g e w a s , from h e r q u ie t tr a d a b le
m an n e rs , m u ch b e lo v ed in th e tow n ; and w h a t is a fin g u la r trait o f
th e in h um an ity o f this p ro c e ed in g , fhe h ad e v e r y d a y fin ce Y e l- lo -w a y ’ s
death requefted that N o o - ro o - in g m ig h t be fed at th e officer’ s h u t, w h e r e
Ihe h e r fe lf refided. S a v a g e in d e ed m u ft b e th e cu ftom and the fe e ling s
w h ic h cou ld arm th e h an d a g ain ft this ch ild ’ s life ! H e r death w a s n o t
a v en g ed , perhaps becaufe th e y confid ered it as an e x p ia to r y facrifice.
W a t - te -w a l, w h o com m itted th e cr im e fo r w h ic h this little g ir l
fuffered fo c ru e lly , efcaped u n h u r t from th e fpears o f B en -n il- lo n g ,
C o le -b e , and fev eral o th e r na tiv e s, and w a s a fte rw ard s re c e iv ed b y th em
as ufua l, and a c tu a lly liv e d w i th this V e ry w om a n fo r fome tim e , till he
w a s k illed in th e n ig h t b y C o le -b e , as b efore related.
T h is W a t- te -w a l w a s in grea t u n io n w i th B en -n il- lo n g , w h o tw ic e
d enied his h a v in g com m itted offences w h ic h h e k n ew w o u ld fo r fe it ou r
fa v o u r . In this laft inftance B en -n il- lo n g b e tra y ed m ore d u p lic ity th an
w e had g iv e n h im cred it fo r . O n a fk in g h im w i th fome earneftnefs i f
W a t- te -w a l had k illed Y e l- lo -w a y , h e affured us w i th m uch con fid en ce
4 f 2 th a t