The Sun. — 1845-05-19 (London, England)

CURIOUS-IDEAS OF THE AUS Their legends and traditions I have received with some caution, knowing well in what kind of soil they have grown : often planted there by romancing shepherds, and afterwards adopted by the dark people as their own. The idea. generally entertained by the blacks that they at their decease go to Van Diernen's Land and come back white fellows originated no doubt in this way. Buckley,* on his first appearance amongst them, the first European they had seen, was received as the re appearance of a native just dead, whom, in every respect, except colour, he closely resembled ; was fully believed to be the very man ; was adopted by the dead man's friends and tribe, and called by his name. No doubt but the similarity, fortunately for Buckley, saved his life. Afterwards, when settlers streamed over from Van Diemen's Land, and the natives beard it mentioned almost only as the place whence the white people came, and, probably, seeing many others in person or feature resembling their dead relatives that they should have such an idea is nothing singular or wonderful. Much more singular and curious ideas they have. Straw4e, indeed, is their notion of death, or rather that, with the constant and palpable decay of the human frame before their eye', they have no belief in death from natural causes. All deaths they consider to be the result of accident, malice, or magic. When a death occurs, they decide that the deceased person's kidney-fat has been stolen away in sleep by some enemy, aided by magic. The body is tied up immediately in a lump, tightly drawn together, body and limbs, by strips of bark or cords, and he and ev ry kind of property belonging to him scrupulously and superstitiously, war implements, his wailer wallert, or opossum rug, guns, if he has any, even double-barrelled ones, although ever so highly valued, are broken ; and these, with the white and black money, in spite of itching hands longing to take it, everything:, in fact, goes with him into his grave religiously. Gravely, also, is it whispered into the ear of the dead man that he may Jest satisfied in his grave, that his black friends will, without fail, avenge his death. And in consul ration of this arrangement, he is requested to refrain from terrifying his old friends and tribe ; that he must not haunt them with alien voices, or the footmarks of strange feet about their encampments. The mourners wear their white paint mourning, never washing themselves, even if months should elapse before they have performed their vow ta the deceased. When they have, tasted the enemy's kidney-fat the mourning ceases. This is a miserable superstition, and causes a great deal of bloodshed. To discover in what direction the enemy of the dead is to be found they take an insect and obs..rye in what direction it crawls, and that is an infallible indication. In that quarter they eo. no matter how far. The first native brossing their path is the murderer of the dead, and, in his turn, becomes the murdered. One death, even a natural death, thus becomes, through ignorance and supentitious custom, the cause of many unnatural deaths. Another of their inhuman and inhospitable superstitions is that regarding strangers. How different from the Jewish or Christian code, by which strangers are privileged and sacred people, •` Thiel shalt in nowise hurt the stranger in thy gate." Immediately that a strange native is found by any tribe in their neighbour all the people are in a state of tumult, yelling, and getting ready their weapons of war for his instant destruction ; f.r their belief is the!, if they do not kill him. they will themselves generally and most fatally be visited with dysentery.—Howitts Impressions of Ansi, alia Fe/ix.