N o t a lo n g tim e b e fo re I le ft th e c o u n t r y , I w itn e fled an o th e r .c o n -
te ft am o n g th em , w h ic h w a s attended w i th fom e d egree o f c e rem o n y .
T h e circum ftan ce w a s this. A n ativ e o f th e B o ta n y B a y d ift r ift , named
C o llin d iu n , h a v in g tak en o f f b y fo r c e G o - ro o -b o o -ro o -b a l- lo , th e fo rm e r
w i fe o f B en -m l- lo n g , b u t n o w th e w i fe o f 'C a r - r u - e y , and carried
h e r u p the harb ou r , C a r - ru -e y w i th h is re lation C o le -b e , in re v en g e ,
fto le u p on this C o llin d iu n one n ig h t w h ile h e la y afleep, and each
fix e d a fp e ar in h im . T h e w o u n d s , th o u g h deep and fe v e re , y e t did
n o t p ro v e m or tal, and on his r e c o v e r y he demanded fatisfadtion. H e
cam e a c com pan ied b y a la rge p a r ty o f n ativ e s from th e fo u th fhore o f
B o ta n y B a y , and ra the r r e lu fta n t ly , fo r h e had w ifh e d the bufinefs to
b e decided th e re , ra the r th an am o n g C a r - ru -e y ’s fr ien d s , as m a n y o f
h is aflociates in arms w e re entire ftrangers to. us. T h ir f t in g after
re v en g e , h ow e v e r , h e w a s p re va iled w i th to meet h im on his ow n
g ro u n d , and th e Y o o - la h n g fo rm e r ly ufed fo r a d ifferent p urpo fe was
th e p lace o f ren d e zv o u s .
A t n ig h t th e y all d anced , th a t is to fa y , bo th parties, b u t n o t m ix ed
to g e th e r ; on e fide w a it in g u n til th e o th e r had con c lud ed th e ir dance.
In th e m an n e r o f d an c in g , o f an n o u n c in g th em fe lv e s as re a d y to b eg in ,
and alfo in th e ir fo n g , the re w a s an e v id en t d iffe r e n c e ..
O u r fr ien d s appeared to h a v e fome ap p reh enfion o f th e e v en t no t
p r o v in g fa v o u rab le to them ; fo r p e r c e iv in g an officer th e re w i th a g u n ,
C a r - ru - e y ft r e n u o u l ly u rg ed h im , i f a n y th in g Ihould happen to h im ,
to fh o o t th e B o ta n y B a y bla ck fe llow s . T h e w om e n , to in d u ce us to
c om p ly w i th h is req u e ft, to ld us th a t fom e o f th e o p p ofite p a r ty had
faid th e y w o u ld k il l C a r - ru -e y . S om e o th e r gu n s m a k in g th e ir app
e aran ce , th e ftrangers w e re alarmed and u n e a fy , u ntil aflured that
th e y w e r e in ten d ed m e re ly fo r ou r ow n fe cu r ity .
T h e tim e fo r th is bufinefs w a s ju f t after ten in th e fo ren o o n . W e found
C a r - ru - e y and C o le -b e feated at one end o f th e Y o o - la h n g , each armed
w i th a fp ear and th row in g - ftic k , and p ro v id ed w i th a fhield . H e r e
th e y w e r e o b lig ed to fit un til fom e one o f th e ir opp onents g o t u p ; th e y
alfo th en arofe and p u t th em fe lv e s en garde. S om e o f the fpears w h ic h
w e r e th row n at th em th e y p ick ed up and th r ew b a c k ; and others th e y
re turn ed w i th e x tra o rd in a ry v iolen ce .
T h e
T h e affair was o v e r before tw o o’ c lo c k ; and , w h a t was remarkable, w e
d id not hear o f a n y p e rfon b e in g w o u n d ed . W e und erftood , h ow e v e r ,
that this c ircum ftan ce w a s to p rod u c e an o th e r m eeting.
In th is as in all the contefts I e v e r w itn e fled am o n g th em , th e p o in t
o f h o n o u r w a s r ig id ly obferv ed . B u t fpears w e re n o t the o n ly in ftru -
ments o f w a r fa re on the fe occafions . T h e y h ad alfo to com ba t w i th
w o rd s , in w h ic h th e w om e n fometimes bore a part. D u r in g th is latter
en gag emen t I h a v e fe en th em , w h en a n y v e r y o ffen five w o rd met th e ir
ears, fu d d en ly place them fe lv e s in th e attitude o f th r o w in g th e fp ear ,
and at times le t it d rop on the g ro u n d w ith o u t d ifc h a rg in g ; and others
th r ew it w ith all th e ir ftr en g th ; b u t a lw a y s fc ru p u lo u fly o b fe rv in g th e
fituation o f the p e r fon o p p ofed , and n e v e r th r o w in g at h im u n til h e
co v e red h im fe lf w ith his fhield . T h e m o ft un a c co u n ta b le trait in this
bufinefs w a s , th e p a r ty th row n at p ro v id in g h is en em y w i th w e a p o n s ; fo r
th e y h a v e be en rep e a ted ly feen, w h e n a fp e a r has flow n h a rm le fj be y
o n d th em , to p ic k it up and fling it ca re le fs ly b a ck to th e ir ad v e r fa ry .
T h is m ig h t p roceed from con tem p t, o r from th e re b e in g a fc a r c ity o f
fp ea rs ; and I h a v e th o u g h t th a t w h e n , inftead o f flin g in g it ca re le fs ly
b a ck , th e y h a v e th row n it w i th m u ch v io len c e , it w a s becaufe it h ad
be en th r o w n at th em w i th a grea te r v ifib le d egree o f m ale vo len c e th an
th e others.
T h is r ig id a ttention to th e p o in t o f h o n o u r , w h e n fa i r ly oppofed' to
each o th e r , is difficult to re con c ile w i th th e ir treacherous and m id n ig h t
murders.
T h e i r mod e o f re taliatin g an in fu lt o r in ju r y w a s e x tra o rd in a ry .
C h ild ren , i f w h e n at p la y th e y re ce ived a b low o r a p u fh , refented i t
b y a b low o r a p u fh o f equal fo r c e to th a t w h ic h th e y felt. T h is reta
lia tin g fp irit appeared alfo am o n g th e m en , o f a remarkab le in ftan c e
o f w h ic h feveral o f us w e r e w itn e fle s . A n ativ e o f th e name o f
B u r - ro -w an -n ie h ad fome tim e b e fo re b e e n be a ten b y tw o n ativ e s o f
th e tribe o f G w e - a , at th e head o f B o ta n y B a y . O n e o f the fe b e in g
fix ed o n , h e w a s in re tu rn to be bea ten b y B u r - ro -w an -n ie . F o r this
p u rp o fe a la rge p a r ty attended o v e r -n ig h t at th e head o f th e ftream
near the fettlement to d a n c e ; at w h ic h e x e rc ife th e y con tin ued from,
nine till p aft tw e lv e o ’ c lo ck . T h e man w h o w a s to be beaten d an c ed
w i th th e re ft u n til th e y ceafed, and th en la id h im fe lf d ow n am o n g
them