# Life and Adventures of William Buckley/Chapter IV

CHAPTER IV.
"My far off friends, whose memories fill  My throbbing bosom,—do they speak Of him whose heart is with them still,  Though joy has ceased to light his cheek?"
The only ceremonies they use preparatory to marriage are, in the first place, to get the parents' consent, the suitor's best claim is being a good fighter, and an expert hunter—so as to be able to protect and provide for a family. They are not at all particular as to the number of wives such men have; consequently some have five or six wives, and others none at all. If a man wishes to have a man's grown up sister for a wife, he must give his own—if he has one—in exchange; but they are very averse to marrying one of their own relations—even of a distant degree. If a woman is supposed to have a child who is not her husband's, they consider it a great disgrace; and to the infant, death is ​almost certain. If again, a family increases too rapidly, for instance, if a woman has a child within twelve months of a previous one, they hold a consultation amongst the tribe she belongs to, as to whether it shall live or not; but if the father insists upon the life of the child being spared, they do not persist in its destruction, and especially if it is a female. At their confinements they receive no assistance whatever, but so soon as the child comes into the world, they wrap it up in a piece of skin rug; and, if on a journey, move on; it has no nourishment but the breast. They name them according to any circumstance that may happen; perhaps after the lake, or river they are near; or any accident or event which may have occurred—the whole family changing their names also, until another child is born—when they change again.
It will be seen by the foregoing, that jealousy is the prevalent cause of all their quarrels, for the women and the men are equally under the influences of the Green-eyed Monster. In the fights, however, which ensue, the poor women get much the worst of it, for after having had their furious combats amongst themselves the husbands think it necessary to turn too also, and thrash them into quietude.
The meetings of different tribes, I found were not solely for the purpose of exchanging food, but for the very landable purpose of bringing out their very elegant, amiable, marriageable daughters, to be seen and known, and of course, courted. By this very natural process, much ill-will and wild desperate passions, are ​unfortunately excited—so that wounds, not only of the heart, but of the head, and frightful murders ensue; some of them never to be forgiven, until a fearful revenge has followed.
Previous to breaking up from our present ground there was another battle, so that when the other tribe left, one of ours stole after them in the night and speared a man dead, who was sleeping in his hut beside his wife; he sent his spear right through him into the ground, for no other cause than that the murdered man had promised him his daughter years before, and had then given her to another. Having had his revenge he returned, and boasted of what he had done, upon which his relations and particular friends left the place, apparently apprehending an attack. The next morning, those who remained went to the tribe to which the murdered man belonged, and found him rolled up in his rug, ready to be tied up in a tree—a mode of disposing of the dead, who were not enemies, unknown to me before. They selected a strong, if not a lofty tree, and in the branches, about twelve feet up, they placed some logs and branches across, and sheets of bark; on these they laid the body with the face upwards, inclining toward the setting sun, and over it was placed some more bark and boughs, and then logs as heavy as the branches would bear; all this being done to protect the body from the birds of prey. Whilst this was going on, the women sat round the tree joining with the widow in the most bitter lamentations, pitiable to hear. A fire was, as usual, made all round this extraordinary ​tomb, and at that side in particular which was nearest to the sun at its setting, so that he might have, in the morning, not only the suns rays, but the fire to cheer and warm him. All things being completed, one word was uttered, "animadiate" winch means, he is gone to be made a white man, but not for ever. The murdered man appeared to have been an especial favourite, and the mourning was long and very general. The hair of all was cut short with sharp shells—both men and women daubing themselves with clay, and the latter crying very lamentably throughout the night. I was much distressed at all this, for their grief was genuine and the poor creatures had no Christian comfort or hope to fall back upon.
I suffered much mentally, so that I determined on once more attempting my escape, being sick at heart, and of these scenes altogether, for scarcely a month had passed without their being repeated. My guardians, or I may again say, my relations, according to their superstitious fashion, however assured me nothing should happen to me under the circumstances by which I had returned amongst them.
After a long conversation, the following morning we parted with the other tribes, apparently on friendly terms, and at length joined the rest of our people who had left us, and having crossed the Barwin, had gone as far as a spot called Biarhoo, where we halted. Very angry discussions arose about the murdered man, and at one time it appeared that the savage who had slain him would be served in a similar manner; but after ​awhile we all moved on to a place they call Godocut, near the sea side, where we pitched our bark huts on a high projecting piece of land, from whence we could command an extensive view, so that no strangers could approach us unobserved. They evidently expected a hostile visit from some of the friends of the man who had been killed, and kept a good look-out for mischief. At this spot, however, nothing was to be had to eat but shell fish; so we soon left for another about eight males distant, going through a very thick scrub to reach it, which occasioned me great pain—my trowsers being almost useless, and the skin rug being my only upper covering. Here we settled down for a few days, near two fresh water wells, hunting opossums and digging roots.
Our next journey was to Palac Palac, a halting place in some very extensive plains, with here and there a tree upon them, where we remained many months, there being plenty of animal food and a good deal of fish in the water-holes.
Great anxiety was still felt about our safety, and watch was kept night and day, to prevent surprise. One day a numerous tribe was seen crossing the plains coming in our direction, and all our party took to their heels for the nearest shelter, where we remained all the night with nothing to eat, for the natives seldom provide for their wants beforehand. The next morning several of our people were sent out to reconnoitre, and not returning all that day and the next night, considerable apprehension was felt at their absence. The ​lowing day, however, they brought the satisfactory intelligence that the party we had seen were not enemies, but a part of a tribe with which we were on friendly terms, who had halted about thirteen miles on. Our messengers brought with them some fire-sticks, so that we were again able to make fires to cook our food—having, in our hasty flight, left ours behind us, at the place to which we now returned.
After some time, a messenger came to say the friendly tribe had found a great abundance of eels, in the lagoon near which they had encamped, and that they wished us to come and share in their good fortune. This is customary amongst those tribes who are friendly with each other; so we accepted the invitation and joined them that day. Being now in considerable strength, we did not fear attack, and it afterwards proved there was no occasion for apprehension, as the friends of the murdered native never sought revenge for the deed. Being in such excellent quarters, and in perfect safety—excepting occasional domestic quarrels—there was nothing to disturb the general tranquillity; and, consequently, I became daily more acquainted with their language and habits. By way of relieving the monotony of this narrative, I may as well, therefore, here relate a few particulars.
The natives inhabiting that part of the coast of New Holland, round Port Phillip, now known as the colony of Victoria, are generally of a middle stature, with a dark complexion; but not so dark as those of warmer latitudes. Their forms and features are not ​strikingly handsome certainly, but many of them would be good-looking, did they not make such horrid frights of themselves by plastering their hair and daubing their faces and bodies all over with pipe-clay and ochre. Their hair is not curly like the African, but straight, looking terribly unsentimental. In fact, every hair of the head appears to be deranged, or out of temper with its owner; and well it may be, for it gets frightfully cut and hacked about, sometimes by shells, and flints, and such like; besides being made the abode of certain living tormentors, which it would be unparliamentary to mention, or describe more particularly. They are not at all nice about their food; all kinds of beasts, and fish, and fowl, reptile, and creeping thing—although when alive poisonous—being acceptable. It is quantity, not quality with them.
They have no notion of a Supreme Being, although they have of an after life, as in my case; and they do not offer up any kind of prayer, even to the sun or moon, as is customary with most other uncivilized people. They have a notion, that the world is supported by props, which are in the charge of a man who lives at the farthest end of the earth. They were dreadfully alarmed on one occasion when I was with them, by news passed from tribe to tribe, that unless they could send him a supply of tomahawks for cutting some more props with, and some more rope to tie them with, the earth would go by the run, and all hands would be smothered. Fearful of this, they began to think, and enquire, and calculate, where the highest ​mountains were, and how to get at them, and on them, so as to have some chance of escape from the threatened danger. Notwithstanding this forethought, they set to work to provide the needful, and succeeded in this way. Passing on the word to the tribes along the coast, some settlers at a very great distance were robbed of axes, and saws, and rope, and tiers of dray wheels; all of which were forwarded on from tribe to tribe, to the old gentleman on the other side; and, as was supposed, in time to prevent the capsize, for it never happened. A tribute of this description is paid whenever possible; but who the knowing old juggling receiving thief is, I could never make out. However, it is only one of the same sort of robberies which are practised in the other countries of what is called Christendom; and as I have no particular wish to dwell upon them in this narrative, let us pass on.
Their notion of the origin of fire is this, that as a native woman was digging at an ant hill one day, for the purpose of getting their eggs for eating, a crow flying over her dropped something like dry grass, which immediately blazed, and set a tree on fire. For this reason, they very much respect the Waakee, as they call the bird, and do not kill and eat him, unless pressed by necessity.
I will now describe their war and hunting implements, and then continue my every day narrative of events.
The spear which they use, is from ten to fifteen feet long, and is made of a solid piece of wood, very sharp ​at the point—some having rows of teeth; these are called jagged spears, because they cannot be easily extracted from either man or beast. The natives call them Karnwell. There is also a smaller kind, the Daar spear, used in hunting; it is made of two pieces of wood, fastened together with the sinews of the kangaroo. They are very sharp at the point, and have a white flint stone on each side, fastened in, and on, with gum. These they throw an amazing distance and with great force, seldom missing their aim at a kangaroo when bounding past at full speed, and at fifty paces distance. There is also another kind of spear but it is chiefly used in warfare; it is a very dry piece of wood inserted into a piece of strong reed; it, altogether, being nearly seven feet long, and bound together by the sinews of the kangaroo. They have another instrument called the marriwan, having at the smaller end a sort of hook. The boomerang, or wangaam, as they are called, is made from a solid piece of wood formed in the shape of a half-moon; this they hurl at their antagonists with great force, holding it at one end before letting it go spinning against the enemy, They have a kind of shield also made of wood, a broad solid piece of about three feet long, tapering at each end, with a handle cut in the side, so as to admit the hand. These shields, which they call malka, are used very dexterously in warding off spears and blows from the waddie, or koor, a piece of wood very much resembling a cricket bat. And then there is the jeangwell, anther piece of wood cut into a half-square at one end, with ​a handle to it and a knob at the end. These two war weapons are excellent at close quarters.
Now readers, let us go back to the plain where I said we were living in peace and with great abundance of food for many months; of coarse, travelling about that particular locality occasionally as it suited oar purposes, either for hunting, or for mere pleasure.
Getting tired at length of the sameness of food, we all left and travelled about twenty miles, as I suppose, into the bush, to a place called Boordek, where opossums were plentiful, My brother-in-law, as he considered himself to be, had shown me how to ascertain when these animals were up the trees, and how the natives took them; this was, in the first place, by breathing hard on the bark, so as to discover if there was any opossum hairs left attached to it when the animal ascended. This found, he next out a notch in the bark with his tomahawk, in which to insert his toe, and then another notch, holding the tomahawk in his mouth after making the incision, and so on upwards; by this means climbing the highest trees, and dragging the animals out of their holes, and off the branches by their legs and tails, and then throwing them down to me at the foot; my business, being to kill, and carry them. At the former I was tolerably expert, so that he often cried out from aloft, Merrijig; which means well done. We lived in clover,at this place, getting plenty of opossums, and a very excellent root, which, when roasted, I found as sweet as a chesnut, and as white as flour.
​Our next halting place was Morriock, where we found a great abundance of squirrels. After being there some time, the greater part of the men left on a distant hunting excursion, leaving about half-a-dozen other men and myself in charge of the women and children. On going away, they marked their arms in the usual manner with stripes, to denote how many days they would be absent; and one man of ours, who remained, did the same; rubbing off one mark each day, to denote the lapse of time. Soon after our people had left, another tribe came and made their huts very near to ours. The very next day they began to show hostile intentions, taking advantage of our weakness, and at length threw their spears, killing a boy and girl. Upon this a conflict ensued, which lasted about an hour. Finding we could defend ourselves, they very soon left and we immediately sent away a messenger to our tribe to tell them what had happened in their absence. They returned as quickly as possible, and a war council was held as to the propriety of following the others, which ended in preparations being made for a pursuit. The smearing with pipe-clay began again, and the spears and other implements were made ready for action.
It appeared the cause of their attack upon us was some very old grievance about the women. I am sorry to say it, but these dear creatures were at the bottom of every mischief. From Adam, that old root digger, downwards, it has always been the same, in every clime, and nation.—Then why fancy my very pretty looking, ​slightly clad Venuses, to be worse than others?—On their part, I repudiate the imputation.
The next morning our party started, fully armed for the combat, and with passions highly excited at the thought of the advantage taken of them by their cowardly assailants. After they were gone, we, who were left, buried the bodies of the children in the usual manner. After two days' absence, our fighting men returned, several of them severely wounded; but their revenge was satisfied, for they had killed two of their opponents.
The next place we went to was called Ballackillock, where we found a tribe already settled, if a few days' residence under sheets of bark and branches of trees, may be so called. Both parties were very friendly for a short time, and then there was a great fight, in which a young woman, about twenty years of age, was speared through the thigh. As she belonged to our tribe, she was brought into our huts, from whence it seemed, she had absconded with a man of the other party, without her parents' knowledge. The quarrel being over, and all quiet, the men went to the lake fishing, leaving the women to their usual occupation, and the poor girl by herself in one of the huts. The man she had eloped with knowing all this, went to her, and carried her off; so that when the tribe returned they discovered the flight of the fugitives, on whom they vowed vengeance. All went on as usual for a few days more, and then we shifted again, and for some time kept moving about, killing squirrels and opossums—the skins of both being very ​much estimated. There is another kind of animal the natives kill and eat—it is called the karbor, about the size of a dog—thick and short in the body, with a tremendous large head, and very short legs, armed with claws covered over with thick frizzly hair of a light brown colour; they inhabit the branches of high trees in the day, but at night they descend to eat the grass, and roots, these being their principal food. When wounded they make the most pitiable cries, like those of young children in pain; they make the same noise in the night; and many a time have they kept me awake whilst on my lonely wanderings. They are very harmless, making no resistance when taken, might be easily domesticated, are excellent eating, and very much resembling pork in flavour. They carry their young in a pouch under the belly the same as the kangaroo; and, notwithstanding their singular and somewhat unwieldy appearance, are very active, springing from branch to branch, like squirrels.
We now started to meet, by invitation, another tribe who were halted near a small stream running into the Barwin. The second day, we reached the appointed place, which the natives call Monwak, but they were not there; so we sent off a messenger to inform them of our approach; at length we found them, in great strength, smearing themselves all over with clay, and apparently preparing for some important occasion. On learning this, our tribe did the same, jumping about as if mad. In the afternoon the others arrived, with ​the man who had ran away with the girl of our tribe at their head; the whole body following him in something like close column, so that I saw clearly there would be another battle.
In the first place, they seated themselves on their rugs, in groups of half-dozens, or thereabouts, keeping their spears, and shields, and waddies all ready at hand; our party being prepared also. At length the young man already mentioned, advanced towards us. He had bunches of emu's feathers tied to different parts of his body by a kind of yarn they make by twisting the hair of the opossum; he was cutting the most extraordinary capers, and challenged our men to fight—an offer which was accepted practically—by a boomerang being thrown at him, and which grazed his leg. A spear was then thrown, but he warded it off cleverly with his shield. He made no return to this, but kept capering and jumping about, until one of our men advanced very near to him, with only a shield and a waddie, and then the two went to work in good earnest, blow following blow, until the first had his shield split, so that he had nothing to defend himself with but his waddie. His opponent took advantage of this, and struck him a tremendous blow on one side of the head, and knocked him down; but he was instantly on his legs again, the blood however flowing very freely over his back and shoulders. His friends then cried out enough, and threatened general hostilities if another blow was struck; and this having the desired effect, ​they all, soon after, separated quietly, thus ending an affair which at one time promised to conclude very differently.
The next day we moved on to another fresh water lake of considerable extent, where we encamped, not very much at our ease, as we saw another tribe on the opposite shore. In the middle of the night we heard a dreadful uproar in that direction, and in the morning learned that those we had seen before dark had been fallen upon by some others whilst they were sleeping; so on hearing this we went to their assistance. On our arrival a horrid scene presented itself, many women and children laying about in all directions, wounded and sadly mutilated. Several of the poor creatures had rushed into the lake and were drowned. The few who had escaped were hiding themselves in the reeds; but on our proffering assistance and protection, they joined us, and went to our huts. The dead were left, it not being safe to lose time in burying them, as our number was not sufficient to make us safe from a similar attack. The day following we therefore left the spot, and kept wandering about for some time after, until we came again to our old quarters at Moodewari, where we remained some months.
Having come to another halt, the better way perhaps will be, for me here to state, that the tribes are divided into families; or rather, I should say, composed of them—each tribe comprising from twenty to sixty of them. They acknowledge no particular Chief as being superior to the rest; but, he who is most skilful and ​useful to the general community, is looked upon with the greatest esteem, and is considered to be entitled to more wives than any of the others. They contrive to keep a tolerable account, by recollection, of their pedigree, and will not, as I observed before, knowingly marry a relation—except where two brothers happened to be married, and one dies; in that case the survivor claims the widow; in fact, as many wives or widows as he has left behind him. Should the women object, there is little chance of their lives being spared, as this law of custom is absolute. They are in general, very kind to their children, excepting the child is from any cause, believed to be illegitimate; and again, when a woman has been promised to one man, and is afterwards given to another; in such case, her first-born is almost invariably killed at its birth. The tribes would be much more numerous were it not for these barbarous and inhuman sacrifices.
As soon as the children are able to toddle about, they begin, as if by instinct, to search for food, and at four or five years of age, are able to dig roots and live without the aid of their parents; to whom, as may be supposed, their drapery, and washing and combing, etc., is no sort of trouble. They are all stark naked, and tumble about in the lagoons and rivers, like so many jolly young porpoises playing in the sun.
They have a brutal aversion to children who happen to be deformed at their birth. I saw the brains of one dashed out at a blow, and a boy belonging to the same woman made to eat the mangled remains. The act of ​cannibalism was accounted for in this way. The woman at particular seasons of the moon, was out of her senses; the moon—as they thought—having affected the child also; and, certainly, it had a very singular appearance. This caused her husband to deny his being the father, and the reason given for making the boy eat the child was, that some evil would befall him if he had not done so.