a complete account of the settlement-第37节

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　two　longitudinal　incisions　with　a　sharpened　shell；　and　afterwards　pinching　up　with　the　nails　the　intermediate　space　of　skin　and　flesh；　which　thereby　becomes　considerably　elevated　and　forms　a　prominence　as　thick　as　a　man's　finger。　　No　doubt　but　pain　must　be　severely　felt　until　the　wound　be　healed。　　But　the　love　of　ornament　defies　weaker　considerations；　and　no　English　beau　can　bear　more　stoutly　the　extraction　of　his　teeth　to　make　room　for　a　fresh　set　from　a　chimney　sweeper；　or　a　fair　one　suffer　her　tender　ears　to　be　perforated；　with　more　heroism　than　the　grisly　nymphs　on　the　banks　of　Port　Jackson；　submit　their　sable　shoulders　to　the　remorseless　lancet。

That　these　scarifications　are　intended　solely　to　increase　personal　allurement　I　will　not；　however；　positively　affirm。　　Similar；　perhaps；　to　the　cause　of　an　excision　of　part　of　the　little　finger　of　the　left　hand　in　the　women；　and　of　a　front　tooth　in　the　men；*　or　probably　after　all　our　conjectures；　superstitious　ceremonies　by　which　they　hope　either　to　avert　evil　or　to　propagate　good；　are　intended。　　The　colours　with　which　they　besmear　the　bodies　of　both　sexes　possibly　date　from　the　same　common　origin。　White　paint　is　strictly　appropriate　to　the　dance。　　Red　seems　to　be　used　on　numberless　occasions；　and　is　considered　as　a　colour　of　less　consequence。　It　may　be　remarked　that　they　translate　the　epithet　white　when　they　speak　of　us；　not　by　the　name　which　they　assign　to　this　white　earth；　but　by　that　with　which　they　distinguish　the　palms　of　their　hands。


＇*It　is　to　be　observed　that　neither　of　these　ceremonies　is　universal；　but　nearly　so。　　Why　there　should　exist　exemptions　I　cannot　resolve。　The　manner　of　executing　them　is　as　follows。　　The　finger　is　taken　off　by　means　of　a　ligature　（generally　a　sinew　of　a　kangaroo）　tied　so　tight　as　to　stop　the　circulation　of　the　blood；　which　induces　mortification　and　the　part　drops　off。　　I　remember　to　have　seen　Colbee's　child；　when　about　a　month　old；　on　whom　this　operation　had　been　just　performed　by　her　mother。　The　little　wretch　seemed　in　pain；　and　her　hand　was　greatly　swelled。　But　this　was　deemed　too　trifling　a　consideration　to　deserve　regard　in　a　case　of　so　much　importance。

The　tooth　intended　to　be　taken　out　is　loosened　by　the　gum　being　scarified　on　both　sides　with　a　sharp　shell。　　The　end　of　a　stick　is　then　applied　to　the　tooth；　which　is　struck　gently　several　times　with　a　stone；　until　it　becomes　easily　moveable；　when　the　'coup　de　grace'　is　given　by　a　smart　stroke。　Notwithstanding　these　precautions；　I　have　seen　a　considerable　degree　of　swelling　and　inflammation　follow　the　extraction。　　Imeerawanyee；　I　remember；　suffered　severely。　　But　he　boasted　the　firmness　and　hardihood　with　which　he　had　endured　it。　　It　is　seldom　performed　on　those　who　are　under　sixteen　years　old。＇


As　this　leads　to　an　important　subject　I　shall　at　once　discuss　it。　〃Have　these　people　any　religion：　　any　knowledge　of；　or　belief　in　a　deity？　any　conception　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul？〃　are　questions　which　have　been　often　put　to　me　since　my　arrival　in　England：　　I　shall　endeavour　to　answer　them　with　candour　and　seriousness。

Until　belief　be　enlightened　by　revelation　and　chastened　by　reason；　religion　and　superstition；　are　terms　of　equal　import。　　One　of　our　earliest　impressions　is　the　consciousness　of　a　superior　power。　　The　various　forms　under　which　this　impression　has　manifested　itself　are　objects　of　the　most　curious　speculation。

The　native　of　New　South　Wales　believes　that　particular　aspects　and　appearances　of　the　heavenly　bodies　predict　good　or　evil　consequences　to　himself　and　his　friends。　　He　oftentimes　calls　the　sun　and　moon　'weeree；'　that　is；　malignant；　pernicious。　　Should　he　see　the　leading　fixed　stars　（many　of　which　he　can　call　by　name）　obscured　by　vapours；　he　sometimes　disregards　the　omen；　and　sometimes　draws　from　it　the　most　dreary　conclusions。　I　remember　Abaroo　running　into　a　room　where　a　company　was　assembled；　and　uttering　frightful　exclamations　of　impending　mischiefs　about　to　light　on　her　and　her　countrymen。　　When　questioned　on　the　cause　of　such　agitation　she　went　to　the　door　and　pointed　to　the　skies；　saying　that　whenever　the　stars　wore　that　appearance；　misfortunes　to　the　natives　always　followed。　The　night　was　cloudy　and　the　air　disturbed　by　meteors。　　I　have　heard　many　more　of　them　testify　similar　apprehensions。

However　involved　in　darkness　and　disfigured　by　error　such　a　belief　be；　no　one　will；　I　presume；　deny　that　it　conveys　a　direct　implication　of　superior　agency；　of　a　power　independent　of　and　uncontrolled　by　those　who　are　the　objects　of　its　vengeance。　　But　proof　stops　not　here。　When　they　hear　the　thunder　roll　and　view　the　livid　glare；　they　flee　them　not；　but　rush　out　and　deprecate　destruction。　　They　have　a　dance　and　a　song　appropriated　to　this　awful　occasion；　which　consist　of　the　wildest　and　most　uncouth　noises　and　gestures。　　Would　they　act　such　a　ceremony　did　they　not　conceive　that　either　the　thunder　itself；　or　he　who　directs　the　thunder；　might　be　propitiated　by　its　performance？　　That　a　living　intellectual　principle　exists；　capable　of　comprehending　their　petition　and　of　either　granting　or　denying　it？　　They　never　address　prayers　to　bodies　which　they　know　to　be　inanimate；　either　to　implore　their　protection　or　avert　their　wrath。　　When　the　gum…tree　in　a　tempest　nods　over　them；　or　the　rock　overhanging　the　cavern　in　which　they　sleep　threatens　by　its　fall　to　crush　them；　they　calculate　（as　far　as　their　knowledge　extends）　on　physical　principles；　like　other　men；　the　nearness　and　magnitude　of　the　danger；　and　flee　it　accordingly。　　And　yet　there　is　reason　to　believe　that　from　accidents　of　this　nature　they　suffer　more　than　from　lightning。　Baneelon　once　showed　us　a　cave；　the　top　of　which　had　fallen　in　and　buried　under　its　ruins；　seven　people　who　were　sleeping　under　it。

To　descend；　is　not　even　the　ridiculous　superstition　of　Colbee　related　in　one　of　our　journies　to　the　Hawkesbury？　　And　again　the　following　instance。　Abaroo　was　sick。　　To　cure　her；　one　of　her　own　sex　slightly　cut　her　on　the　forehead；　in　a　perpendicular　direction　with　an　oyster　shell；　so　as　just　to　fetch　blood。　　She　then　put　one　end　of　a　string　to　the　wound　and；　beginning　to　sing；　held　the　other　end　to　her　own　gums；　which　she　rubbed　until　they　bled　copiously。　　This　blood　she　contended　was　the　blood　of　the　patient；　flowing　through　the　string；　and　that　she　would　thereby　soon　recover。　　Abaroo　became　well；　and　firmly　believed　that　she　owed　her　cure　to　the　treatment　she　had　received。　　Are　not　these；　I　say；　links；　subordinate　ones　indeed；　of　the　same　golden　chain？　　He　who　believes　in　magic　confesses　supernatural　agency；　and　a　belief　of　this　sort　extends　farther　in　many　persons　than　they　are　willing　to　allow。　　There　have　lived　men　so　inconsistent　with　their　own　principles　as　to　deny　the　existence　of　a　God；　who　have　nevertheless　turned　pale　at　the　tricks　of　a　mountebank。

But　not　to　multiply　arguments　on　a　subject　where　demonstration　（at　least　to　me）　is　incontestable；　I　shall　close　by　expressing　my　firm　belief　that　the　Indians　of　New　South　Wales　acknowledge　the　existence　of　a　superintending　deity。　　Of　their　ideas　of　the　origin　and　duration　of　his　existence；　of　his　power　and　capacity；　of　his　benignity　or　maleficence；　or　of　their　own　emanation　from　him；　I　pretend　not　to　speak。　　I　have　often；　in　common　with　others；　tried　to　gain　information　from　them　on　this　head；　but　we　were　always　repulsed　by　obstacles　which　we　could　neither　pass　by　or　surmount。　　Mr。　Dawes　attempted　to　teach　Abaroo　some　of　our　notions　of　religion；　and　hoped　that　she　would　thereby　be　induced　to　communicate　hers　in　return。　　But　her　levity　and　love　of　play　in　a　great　measure　defeated　his　efforts；　although　every　thing　he　did　learn　from　her　served　to　confirm　what　is　here　advanced。　　It　may　be　remarked；　that　when　they　attended　at　church　with　us　（which　was　a　common　practice）　they　always　preserved　profound　silence　and　decency；　as　if　conscious　that　some　religious　ceremony　on　our　side　was　performing。

The　question　of；　whether　they　believe　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul　will　take　up　very　little　time　to　answer。　　They　are　universally　fearful　of　spirits。*　　They　call　a　spirit　'mawn'。　　They　often　scruple　to　approach　a　corpse；　saying　that　the　'mawn'　will　seize　them　and　that　it　fastens　upon　them　in　the　night　when　asleep。**　　When　asked　where　their　deceased　friends　are　they　always　point　to　the　skies。　　To　believe　in　after　existence　is　to　confess　the　immortality　of　some　part　of　being。　　To　enquire　whether　they　assign　a　'limited'　period　to　such　future　state　would　be　superfluous。　　This　is　one　of　the　subtleties　of　speculation　which　a　savage　may　be　supposed　not　to　have　considered；　without　impeachment　either　of　his　sagacity　or　happiness。

＇*　〃It　is　remarkable；〃　says　Cicero；　〃that　there　is　no　nation；　whether　barbarous　or　civilized；　that　does　not　believe　in　the　existence　of　spirits〃。＇

＇**As　they　often　eat　to　satiety；　even　to　produce　sickness；　may　not　this　be　the　effect　of　an　overloaded　stomach：　　the　nightmare？＇



Their　manner　of　interring　the　dead　has　been　amply　described。　　It　is　certain　that　instead　of　burying　they　sometimes　burn　the　corpse；　but　the　cause　of　distinction　we　know　not。　　A　dead　body；　covered　by　a　canoe；　at　whose　side　a　sword　and　shield　were　placed　in　state；　was　once　di