b ecame im m ed ia te ly ca r - rah -d y s , and that all tho fe w h o e x e rcifed th a t
p rofefliori had go n e th ro u g h this c e rem o n y .
I t is v e r y ce rtain, that e v en in the d a y - t im e th e y w e r e ftran g e ly un w
i llin g to pafs a g ra v e ; b u t I b e lie ve that th e ir tale o f b e in g feized b y
the throa t b y a g h o ft w a s n o th in g more than th e ir h a v in g fe lt th e effedts
o f w h a t w e term th e n igh t-m are d u r in g an u n e a fy fleep.
T o th e Ih o o tin g o f a ftar th e y a tta ch a d egree o f im p o r ta n c e ; and I
o n c e , on an occafion o f this k in d , faw th e g ir l B o o - ro o n g g re a tly agitated,
and p ro p h e fy in g m u ch e v il to be fa l all th e w h ite men and th e ir habitations.
O f th u n d e r and lig h tn in g th e y are alfo m u ch a fr a id ; but h a v e an
id e a , th a t b y ch an tin g fom e particular w o rd s , and b rea th in g h ard , th e y
can d ifpel it. Inftances o f this h a v e been feen.
No. V I I I .
D I S E A S E S .
T h e i r liv in g ch ie fly on fifh (I fp eak o f thofe w h om w e fo u n d on the
fea -coaft) p rod uces a d iford er w h ic h g r e a tly refembles th e i t c h ; th e y
term it D je e -b a ll d je e - b a l l ; and at one tim e , ab ou t th e y e a r 1 7 9 1 , there
w a s n o t on e o f th e na tiv e s, man, w om a n , n o r ch ild , th a t came near us,
b u t w a s co v e red w i th it. I t raged v io le n t ly am o n g th em , and fom e became
v e r y lo ath fom e objects.
T h e v ene re al difeafe alfo had g o t am o n g th em ; b u t I fea r o u r p eop le
h a v e to an fw e r fo r t h a t ; fo r th o u g h I be lie v e n one o f ou r w om en had
c o n n e x io n w i th th em , y e t th e re is no d oubt b u t that fe v e ral o f th e
b la c k w om en h ad n o t fc rupled to c o n n e d them fe lv e s w ith the w h ite
men. O f th e ce r ta in ty o f this an e x tra o rd in a ry inftance occurred .
A n ativ e w om an had a ch ild b y one o f o u r p eop le. O n its com in g into
th e w o r ld Ihe p e rce iv ed a difference in its c o lo u r ; fo r w h ic h n o t k n ow in
g h ow to a c co u n t, fhe end e avoured to fu p p ly b y art w h a t the foun d
defic ient in nature , and a d u a l ly h e ld th e p o o r babe, rep e a ted ly , o v e r the
fm ok e
fmoke of her fire, and rubb ed its little b o d y w ith allies and dirt, to re-
fto re it to t he h u e w i th w h ic h h e r o th e r ch ild ren had been born. H e r
h u fb an d appeared as fo n d o f it as i f it had borne th e undoubted fign o f
b e in g his ow n , at leaft fo far as com p le x io n could afcertain to w h om it
be lon ged . W h e th e r the m o th e r had made ufe o f an y addrefs on the
co c a lion , I n e ve r learned.
I t w a s b y n o means afcertained w h e th e r the lues v ene rea had been
am o n g them be fo re th e y k n ew us, o r w h e th e r pur p eop le had to an fw e r
fo r h a v in g introd uced that d e v ou r in g p lague . T h u s fa r is ce rtain, h ow e
v e r , th a t th e y g a v e it a name, G o o -b a h - r o n g ; a c ircum ftan ce th a t feems
rather to im p ly a p re -k n ow le d g e o f its dreadful effeCls.
In the y e a r 1 7 8 9 th e y w e r e v ifited b y a diforder w h ic h raged am o n g
th em w ith all th e appearance and v iru len c e o f th e fm a ll-p o x . T h e
n um b e r that it fw e p t o ff, b y th e ir ow n a c cou n ts , w a s inc red ib le. A t
that time a n ativ e w a s liv in g w i th u s ; and on ou r ta k in g h im d ow n to
th e harb our to lo o k fo r his fo rm e r com p an ion s, th o fe w h o w itneffed his
e xp re ffion and a g o n y can n e v e r fo rg e t either . H e lo o k ed a n x io u fly
aroun d h im in the different co v e s w e v i f i t e d ; n o t a v e ftig e on th e fand
w a s to be fo u n d o f h um an fo o t ; the e x ca v a tio n s in th e ro ck s w e r e
'f i lle d w i th th e p utrid bod ies o f tho fe w h o h ad fallen v i& im s to th e d iford
er ; no t a liv in g p e r fon w a s a n y w h e re to be m e t w ith . I t feemed
as if , f ly in g from th e co n ta g io n , th e y had le ft th e dead to b u r y th e
dead.' H e lifted u p his hands and e y e s in filent a g o n y fo r fome time ;
at laft h e e x c la im ed , “ A l l dead ! all d ead !” and th en h u n g his head in
m ou rn fu l filence , w h ic h he pre fe rv ed d u r in g the remaind er o f ou r e x -
cu rfion. S ome d ay s after h e learned th a t th e few o f h is companions
w h o fu rv iv e d had fled up th e harb ou r to a v o id th e p e ftilence that fo
d re ad fu lly raged. H is fate has be en , alread y m entioned . H e fe ll a
v id lim to his ow n h um an ity w h e n B o o - ro o n g , N a n -b a r - ra y , and others
w e r e b ro u g h t into th e tow n co v e red w i th th e erup tions o f th e diforder.
O n v ifitin g B ro k en B a y , w e fo u n d that it h ad n o t confined its
e f fe a s to P o rt J a ck fo n , fo r in m an y places ou r p ath w a s co v e red w ith
fk e le to n s ,an d th e fame fp e d a c le s w e r e to be met w i th in th e h o llow s
o f m o lt o f the ro ck s o f that harb our.
N o tw ith fta n d in g th e tow n o f S y d n e y w a s at th is time filled w i th
ch ild ren , m an y of w h om -v ifited th e n ativ e s that w e r e ill o f this d ifo rd er,
n o t