Volume I Part 5 (1/2)

We wereour stay by the contrast between the natives here, and those we had seen on the Beagle's fore's Sound The co within the influence of their civilized fellow-men: a fact which may surprise so, I am quite prepared to vouch A better quality, and more certain supply of food, are the causes to which this superiority ought to be attributed: they are indeed exceedingly fond of wheaten bread, and work hard for the settlers, in cutting wood and carrying water, in order to obtain it Individually they appear peaceable, inoffensive, and well-disposed, and, under proper ate together for any length of tie life A the many useful hints, for which ere indebted to Mr Roe, was that of taking a native with us to the northward; and, accordingly, after so ly useful, and un-room waiter We noticed that, like most of the natives, he was deeply scarred, and I learned from him that this is done to recoes, they are treacherous--for uncivilized man has no abstract respect for truth, and consequently deceit, whether spoken or acted, seems no baseness in his eyes

ANECDOTES OF THE NATIVES

I heard an anecdote at Perth that bears upon this subject: A native of the name of Tonquin asked a settler, who lived soht in his kitchen, of which that evening another native was also an inmate It seems that some hate, either personal, or the consequences of a quarrel between their different tribes, existed in the er; and in the night he speared hih the heart, AND THEN VERY QUIETLY LAID DOWN TO SLEEP! Of course in theno little stir took place

Tonquin was accused, but stoutly denied the charge So satisfied, however, was the owner of the house of the guilt of the real culprit, that had he not made his escape, he would have been executed red hand--as the border wardens used to say--by the man, the sanctity of whose roof-tree he had thus profaned Tonquin afterwards declared that he NEVER SLEPT FOR NEARLY A FORTNIGHT, being dogged froers of blood He escaped, however, with his life, though worn almost to a shadow by constant anxiety When I saw hi native I had ever seen, but he was apparently, as those who knew him best reported him to be, insane If not the memory of his crime, and the consequent reitive life he was compelled to lead in order to avoid the wrath of huer of Heaven for this breach of one of those first great laws of human society, which are almost as much instincts of our nature as revelations from the Creator to the creatures of his will!

SUPERStitIONS

The natives have a superstitious horror of approaching the graves of the dead, of whom they never like to speak, and when induced to do so, alhisper A settler, residing in a dangerous part of the colony, had two soldiers stationed with hiuard: upon one occasion five natives rushed in at a moment when the soldiers were unprepared for their reception, and a terrible struggle ensued: the soldiers, however, round, to shoot two of the three The five were afterwards buried before the door, nor could a ht even of revenge for their comrades would afterwards induce any of the tribe to pass that fearful boundary

Their most curious superstition, however, remains to be recorded; it is the opinion they confidently entertain, and which see them, that the white people are their foruise revisit the world after death

Miago assured me that this was the current opinion, and my own personal observation subsequently confirmed his statement At Perth, one of the settlers, from his presumed likeness to a defunct member of the tribe of the Murray River, was visited by his supposed kindred twice every year, though in so doing they passed through sixty miles of as not unfrequently an eneious opinions, so far as I have been able to obtain any inforue and indefinite That they do not regard the grave asplace, may, however, be fairly concluded, from the superstition I have just alluded to, and that they believe in invisible and superior powers--objects of dread and fear, rather than veneration or love--has been testified in Captain Grey'schapter upon Native Customs, and confirmed by my own experience

THE EVIL SPIRIT

I used soo upon this point, and from him I learned their belief in the existence of an evil spirit, haunting dark caverns, wells, and places of a I heard fro with hiht fro; supposed to keep an especial guardianshi+p over fresh water, and to be o had never seen this object of his fears, but upon the authority of the elders of his tribe, he described its visible presence as that of a huge ht, when the tall forest trees moaned and creaked in the fitful wind, he would shrink terrified by the solemn and mysterious sounds, which then do predispose the mind to superstitious fears, and tell how, at such a time, his countrymen kindle a fire to avert the actual presence of the evil spirit, and wait around it--chanting their uncouth and rhyth dawn

I have preserved these anecdotes here, because I can vouch for their authenticity, and though individually uniht upon the ines of Australia; but to all really interested in the subject, I would recommend a perusal of Captain Grey's second volume I have as yet neither space nor materials to attempt any detailed account of the custoe people; but it would be ier, whose chief object is to make their native land a field for the exertions of British enterprise, be wholly indifferent to the manner in which our dominion may affect them The history of aly, has been one fearful catalogue of criuese, English adventurers seeentle and benevolent, still cruelty and oppression have too often disgraced our name and faith

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Thank Heaven, with lad day shall come, I can look onith confidence to a period--I trust not far reth and breadth of Australia, Christian civilization shall attest that the claied!

CHAPTER 14 FROM SWAN RIVER TO ROEBUCK BAY

Sail froe's Road

Search for a bank

Currents and soundings

Houtman's Abrolhos

Fruitless search for Ritchie's Reef

Indications of a squall

Deep sea soundings

Atmospheric Temperature

Fish

A squall

Anchor off the mouth of Roebuck Bay

A heavy squall

Driven froe

Cape Villaret