n o t one o f them c a u g h t it, th o u g h a N o r th -Am e r ic a n In d ian , a failor
b e lo n g in g to C ap tain B a ll’ s v e ffe l, th e S u p p ly , fick en ed o f it and died.
T o this d iford er th e y alfo g a v e a nam e , G a l - g a l - la ; and that it was
the fm a ll-p o x there w a s fc a r c e ly a d o u b t ; fo r th e p e r fon feized w i th it
w a s affeCted e x a c t ly as E u rop e an s are w h o h a v e th a t d ifo rd e r ; and on
m a n y th a t had re cov e red from it w e faw the traces, in fom e the ra va ges
o f it on th e face.
A s a p r o o f o f th e numbers o f th o fe miferable p eop le w h o w e r e carried
o f f b y this d ifo rd e r , B en -n il- lo n g to ld us, th a t his fr ien d C o le -b e ’s
tr ib e b e in g red uced b y 'i t s effects to th re e p e rfon s , C o le -b e , the b o y
N a n -b a r - ra y , and fom e on e e lfe , th e y fo u n d them fe lv e s com pelled to
u n ite w i th fom e o th e r tr ibe , no t o n ly fo r th e ir perfona l p ro te c tio n , but
to p re v en t the e x tin c tio n o f th e ir tribe. W h e th e r this incorp oration
e v e r to o k p lace I c an n o t fa y ; I o n ly k n ow th a t th e natives them fe lv e s ,
w h e n d ift in g u ifh in g b e tw e en this m an and another o f the fame name at
B o ta n y B a y , a lw a y s fty led h im C a d - i C o le -b e ; C a d - i b e in g th e name o f
h is d if lr iC t ; and C o le -b e , w h e n h e came in to th e fie ld fom e time after,
appeared to be attended b y fe v e ra l v e r y fine b o y s w h o k e p t clo fe b y his
fid e , and w e r e o f his p ar ty .
W h e n e v e r th e y fe e l a p a in , th e y fa llen a tig h t lig a tu re roun d the
p a r t, th e re b y Hopping the circu la tion , and eafing th e p art im m ed ia te ly
affeCted. I h a v e b efore m en tion ed th e qu ickn e fs w i th w h ic h th e y rec
o v e r e d from w o u n d s ; b u t I h a v e e v en k n ow n th em g e t th e better in a
flvort tim e o f a fra ctured fk u ll. T h a t th e ir fk u lls Ihould be fra ctured
w i ll b e n o w o n d e r , w h e n it is re colle c ted that th e club feems to be
ap p lied alone to th e head. T h e w om en w h o are ftru ck w ith this w e a p
o n a lw a y s fall to the g r o u n d ; but this fe ld om hap pens to th e men
th o u g h th e b low s are g e n e ra lly more fevere.
No. IX.
P R O P E R T Y .
l H E I R fpears and lh ie ld s, th e ir clubs and lin e s , & c . are th e ir ow n
p r o p e r t y ; th e y a re m anufa ctured b y th em fe lv e s , and are th e w h o le o f
th e ir
th e ir p erfonal eftate. B u t , ftrange as it m a y appear, th e y h a v e alfo
th e ir real eftates. B en -n il- lo n g , both before h e w en t to England and
fin ce his re tu rn , o ften allured me , th a t th e illand M e -m e l (called b y us
G o a t I llan d ) clofe b y S y d n e y C o v e w a s his ow n p rop e r ty ; that it was
h is fath e r ’ s, and th a t he Ihould g iv e it to B y -g o n e , h is particular fr ien d
and com p an ion . T o this little fp ot he appeared m u ch attached ; and
w e h a v e often feen h im and h is w i fe B a -ran g -a -ro o fe a flin g and enj
o y in g th em fe lv e s on it. H e to ld us o f o th e r p eop le w h o p olfelfed this
k in d o f he red ita ry p ro p e r ty , w h ic h th e y retained undifturbed.
No. X.
D I S P O S I T I O N S .
F R O M th e different circumftances th a t h a v e b e en related o f the fe
p eop le in th e fo re g o in g a c co u n t, a g enera l id ea o f th e ir ch a rac te r and
d ifp olition m a y be gathered. T h e y are r e v en g e fu l, je a lo u s , coura geous ,
an d cu n n in g . I h a v e n e ve r confidered th e ir Healing on each other in
th e n ig h t fo r th e p u rp o fe s o f m urd er as a w a n t o f b ra v e r y , b u t h a v e
lo o k ed on it rather as the effeCt o f th e diabolica l fp irit o f re v en g e ,
w h ic h thus fo u gh t to make fu re r o f its objeCt th an it could hav e d one
i f o n ly oppofed man to man in th e field. T h e i r conduCt w h en th us
o pp ofed, th e co n fia n c y w i th w h ic h th e y endured p ain , and th e a la c r ity
w i th w h ic h th e y accepted a fummons to th e fig h t , are fu r e ly p roo fs o f
th e ir no t w a n tin g coura ge . T h e y d ifc laim all id ea o f an y fu p e r io r ity
th a t is no t p e r fo n a l; and I rememb er w h e n B en -n il- lo n g had a Ihield,
made o f tin and co v e red w i th lea ther, p refented to him b y G o v e rn o r
P h illip , h e to o k it w ith h im d ow n th e harb our , w h en c e he re turn ed
w i th o u t it, te llin g us that he had lo fi i t ; bu t in faCt it had been taken
from h im b y th e p eop le o f the n orth Ihore diflriCt and d e f lr o y e d ; it
b e in g deemed u n fa ir to co v e r h im fe lf w i th fu ch a guard.
T h e y m ig h t h a v e been h o n e fi before w e came am o n g th em , not
h a v in g m u ch to co v e t from one a n o th e r ; but from us th e y often Hole
fu ch th in g s as w e w o u ld no t g iv e th em . W h ile th e y p ilfe red w h a t
9 co u ld