co u ld g r a t ify th e ir appetites, it"wa s no t to be w on d e red a t ; but I hav e
fe en th em fteal articles o f w h ic h th e y cou ld no t p o ffib ly k n o w th e ufe.
M r . W h ite o n ce b e in g in th e m id ft o f a c r ow d o f natives in the low e r
part o f th e harb ou r , one o f th em la w a fmall cafe o f inftruments in his
p o c k e t, w h ic h , w a tc h in g an o p p o r tu n ity , h e f ly ly Hole, and ran aw a y
w i th ; b u t, b e in g o bfe rv ed , h e w a s purfued and made to reftore his
p r ize . W e w e re v e r y little acquainted w i th th em at this tim e , and therefo
re th e n ativ e cou ld no t h a v e k n ow n th e contents o f the cafe. C o u ld
h e h a v e be en w a tch ed to h is retreat, I h a v e no d oubt b u t h e w o u ld
h a v e be en feen to la y th e cafe o n h is h ead , as an orn am en t, th e p lace to
w h ic h at fir ft e v e ry th in g w e g a v e th em w a s u lu a lly configned .
T h a t th e y are n o t ltranger s to the o ccalion a l p ra c tic e o f fa lfeh o o d , is
ap p aren t from th e w o rd s tru th and falfeh ood b e in g foun d in th e ir lan g
u a g e ; b u t, in d ep end en t o f th is , w e h ad m a n y p roofs o f th e ir b e in g
adepts in th e arts o f e v a fio n and l y i n g ; and I h a v e feen th em , w h e n
w e h a v e e x p re lfed doubts o f fome o f th e ir tales, affin e us w i th m uch
earneftnefs o f the tru th o f th e ir a ffe r tio n s ; and w h en fp e ak in g to us o f
o th e r nativ es th e y h a v e as a n x io u f ly w ilh ed us to be lie v e that th e y had
to ld us lies.
T h e i r talent fo r m im ic r y is v e r y great. I t w a s a fa v o u r ite d iv erfion
w i th th e ch ild ren to imita te th e peculiarities in a n y one’ s g a it, and th e y
w o u ld g o th ro u g h it w i th th e h ap pie ft fuccefs.
T h e y are fufceptible o f fr ien d lh ip , and capable o f fe e lin g fo r r c w ; but
th is iatter fen fation th e y are n o t in th e hab it o f en co u ra g in g lo n g .
W h e n B a - lo o -d e r - r y , a v e r y fine lad w h o died am on g us, w a s b uried, I
faw th e tears d re am in g lile n t ly d ow n th e fable ch e ek o f his -fathe r M a u -
g o - ran ; but in a little time th e y w e re dried , and th e o ld man s co u n tenance
ind icated n o th in g but the lapfe o f m a n y y e a rs w h ic h had paffed
o v e r his head.
W i t h a ttention and k in d treatment, th e y ce r ta in ly m ig h t be made a
v e r y fe rv iceab le p eop le , I h a v e feen them em p lo y ed in a boat as ufe -
f u l l y a s a n y w h ite p e r fo n ; and th e fettlers h a v e fo u n d fom e am o n g
th em , w h o w o u ld g o out w i th th e ir fto c k , and ca re fu lly b r in g h om e the
r ig h t numb ers, th o u g h th e y h a v e n o t a n y k n ow le d g e o f numeration
b e y o n d thre e o r four.
T h e i r
T h e i r acqua intance w i th a ft ro n om y is lim ited to the names o f th e
fu n and m o o n , fom e few lia rs , th e M a g e llan ic clouds, and the m ilk y
w a y . O f th e c ircular fo rm o f th e earth th e y h a v e n o t the fmalleft
id ea , b u t im a g in e th a t th e fu n returns o v e r th e ir heads d uring the
n ig h t to th e qua rter w h en c e h e b e g in s h is cou r fe in th e morning.
A s th e y n e v e r m ak e p ro v ifio n fo r th e m o r row , e x c e p t at a w h a le -
fea ft, th e y a lw a y s eat as lo n g as th e y h a v e a n y th in g le ft to eat, and
w h e n fatisfied, ftre tch th em fe lv e s ou t in th e 'fu n to lleep, w h e r e th e y
rem ain u n til h u n g e r or fom e o th e r caufe calls th em ag ain in to a d io n .
I h a v e at times o b fe rv ed a grea t d egree o f in d o len ce in th e ir d ifp ofi-
tion s , w h ic h I h a v e fr e q u e n t ly feen the men in d u lg e at th e e x p en c e o f
th e w e a k e r ve ffe l th e w om e n , w h o h a v e been fo r c ed to fit in th e ir
can o e , e x p o fe d to th e fe r v o u r o f th e m id -d a y fu n , h o u r after h o u r ,
ch a u n tin g th e ir little fo n g , and in v it in g th e fifh beneath th em to take
th e ir b a i t ; fo r w i th o u t a fuffic ien t q u a n tity to m ake a meal fo r th e ir
ty ran ts , w h o w e re ly in g alleep at th e ir eafe, th e y w o u ld meet b u t a
ru d e reception on th e ir lan d in g.
No. XI.
F U N E R A L C E R E M O N I E S .
T H E firft p e cu lia r ity noticeable in th e ir fu n e ra l ce remonies is the
difpofal o f th e ir dead : th e ir y o u n g p e o p le th e y co n fign to the g ra v e ;
th o fe w h o h a v e paffed th e mid d le age are burnt. B e n -n il- lo n g bu rn t
th e b o d y o f his firft w ife B a - ran g -a - ro o , w h o , I fu p p o fe , w a s at th e
tim e o f h e r deceafe turned o f f if ty . I h a v e attended th em on b o th
o ccafions. T h e interment o f B a - lo o -d e r - r y was ac com panied w i th
m a n y cu rious ce remonies. F rom b e in g o n e d a y in apparent p erfedt
h e a lth , h e w a s b ro u g h t in th e n e x t e x tr em e ly ill , and attended b y B en -
n il- lo n g , w h om w e fo u n d fin g in g o v e r h im , and m a k in g ufe o f tho fe
means w h ic h ign o ran ce and fup erftition p oin ted o u t to h im to re c o v e r
h is health. B a - lo o -d e r - r y la y ex ten d ed o n th e g ro u n d , ap p ea r in g to
4 H be