a complete account of the settlement-第38节

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　A　dead　body；　covered　by　a　canoe；　at　whose　side　a　sword　and　shield　were　placed　in　state；　was　once　discovered。　　All　that　we　could　learn　about　this　important　personage　was　that　he　was　a　'Gweeagal'　（one　of　the　tribe　of　Gweea）　and　a　celebrated　warrior。

To　appreciate　their　general　powers　of　mind　is　difficult。　　Ignorance；　prejudice；　the　force　of　habit；　continually　interfere　to　prevent　dispassionate　judgment。　　I　have　heard　men　so　unreasonable　as　to　exclaim　at　the　stupidity　of　these　people　for　not　comprehending　what　a　small　share　of　reflection　would　have　taught　them　they　ought　not　to　have　expected。　　And　others　again　I　have　heard　so　sanguine　in　their　admiration　as　to　extol　for　proofs　of　elevated　genius　what　the　commonest　abilities　were　capable　of　executing。

If　they　be　considered　as　a　nation　whose　general　advancement　and　acquisitions　are　to　be　weighed；　they　certainly　rank　very　low；　even　in　the　scale　of　savages。　They　may　perhaps　dispute　the　right　of　precedence　with　the　Hottentots　or　the　shivering　tribes　who　inhabit　the　shores　of　Magellan。　　But　how　inferior　do　they　show　when　compared　with　the　subtle　African；　the　patient　watchful　American；　or　the　elegant　timid　islander　of　the　South　Seas。　　Though　suffering　from　the　vicissitudes　of　their　climate；　strangers　to　clothing；　though　feeling　the　sharpness　of　hunger　and　knowing　the　precariousness　of　supply　from　that　element　on　whose　stores　they　principally　depend；　ignorant　of　cultivating　the　eartha　less　enlightened　state　we　shall　exclaim　can　hardly　exist。

But　if　from　general　view　we　descend　to　particular　inspection；　and　examine　individually　the　persons　who　compose　this　community；　they　will　certainly　rise　in　estimation。　　In　the　narrative　part　of　this　work；　I　have　endeavoured　rather　to　detail　information　than　to　deduce　conclusions；　leaving　to　the　reader　the　exercise　of　his　own　judgment。　　The　behaviour　of　Arabanoo；　of　Baneelon；　of　Colbee　and　many　others　is　copiously　described；　and　assuredly　he　who　shall　make　just　allowance　for　uninstructed　nature　will　hardly　accuse　any　of　those　persons　of　stupidity　or　deficiency　of　apprehension。

To　offer　my　own　opinion　on　the　subject；　I　do　not　hesitate　to　declare　that　the　natives　of　New　South　Wales　possess　a　considerable　portion　of　that　acumen；　or　sharpness　of　intellect；　which　bespeaks　genius。　All　savages　hate　toil　and　place　happiness　in　inaction；　and　neither　the　arts　of　civilized　life　can　be　practised　or　the　advantages　of　it　felt　without　application　and　labour。　　Hence　they　resist　knowledge　and　the　adoption　of　manners　and　customs　differing　from　their　own。　　The　progress　of　reason　is　not　only　slow；　but　mechanical。　　〃De　toutes　les　Instructions　propres　a　l'homme；　celle　qu'il　acquiert　le　plus　tard；　et　le　plus　difficilement；　est　la　raison　meme。〃　　The　tranquil　indifference　and　uninquiring　eye　with　which　they　surveyed　our　works　of　art　have　often；　in　my　hearing；　been　stigmatized　as　proofs　of　stupidity；　and　want　of　reflection。　　But　surely　we　should　discriminate　between　ignorance　and　defect　of　understanding。　The　truth　was；　they　often　neither　comprehended　the　design　nor　conceived　the　utility　of　such　works；　but　on　subjects　in　any　degree　familiarised　to　their　ideas；　they　generally　testified　not　only　acuteness　of　discernment　but　a　large　portion　of　good　sense。　　I　have　always　thought　that　the　distinctions　they　shewed　in　their　estimate　of　us；　on　first　entering　into　our　society；　strongly　displayed　the　latter　quality：　　when　they　were　led　into　our　respective　houses；　at　once　to　be　astonished　and　awed　by　our　superiority；　their　attention　was　directly　turned　to　objects　with　which　they　were　acquainted。　They　passed　without　rapture　or　emotion　our　numerous　artifices　and　contrivances；　but　when　they　saw　a　collection　of　weapons　of　war　or　of　the　skins　of　animals　and　birds；　they　never　failed　to　exclaim；　and　to　confer　with　each　other　on　the　subject。　　The　master　of　that　house　became　the　object　of　their　regard；　as　they　concluded　he　must　be　either　a　renowned　warrior；　or　an　expert　hunter。　Our　surgeons　grew　into　their　esteem　from　a　like　cause。　　In　a　very　early　stage　of　intercourse；　several　natives　were　present　at　the　amputation　of　a　leg。　When　they　first　penetrated　the　intention　of　the　operator；　they　were　confounded；　not　believing　it　possible　that　such　an　operation　could　be　performed　without　loss　of　life；　and　they　called　aloud　to　him　to　desist；　but　when　they　saw　the　torrent　of　blood　stopped；　the　vessels　taken　up　and　the　stump　dressed；　their　horror　and　alarm　yielded　to　astonishment　and　admiration；　which　they　expressed　by　the　loudest　tokens。　　If　these　instances　bespeak　not　nature　and　good　sense；　I　have　yet　to　learn　the　meaning　of　the　terms。

If　it　be　asked　why　the　same　intelligent　spirit　which　led　them　to　contemplate　and　applaud　the　success　of　the　sportsman　and　the　skill　of　the　surgeon；　did　not　equally　excite　them　to　meditate　on　the　labours　of　the　builder　and　the　ploughman；　I　can　only　answer　that　what　we　see　in　its　remote　cause　is　always　more　feebly　felt　than　that　which　presents　to　our　immediate　grasp　both　its　origin　and　effect。

Their　leading　good　and　bad　qualities　I　shall　concisely　touch　upon。　Of　their　intrepidity　no　doubt　can　exist。　　Their　levity；　their　fickleness；　their　passionate　extravagance　of　character；　cannot　be　defended。　They　are　indeed　sudden　and　quick　in　quarrel；　but　if　their　resentment　be　easily　roused；　their　thirst　of　revenge　is　not　implacable。　　Their　honesty；　when　tempted　by　novelty；　is　not　unimpeachable；　but　in　their　own　society　there　is　good　reason　to　believe　that　few　breaches　of　it　occur。　It　were　well　if　similar　praise　could　be　given　to　their　veracity：　　but　truth　they　neither　prize　nor　practice。　　When　they　wish　to　deceive　they　scruple　not　to　utter　the　grossest　and　most　hardened　lies。*　　Their　attachment　and　gratitude　to　those　among　us　whom　they　have　professed　to　love　have　always　remained　inviolable；　unless　effaced　by　resentment；　from　sudden　provocation：　　then；　like　all　other　Indians；　the　impulse　of　the　moment　is　alone　regarded　by　them。

＇*This　may　serve　to　account　for　the　contradictions　of　many　of　their　accounts　to　us。＇

Some　of　their　manufactures　display　ingenuity；　when　the　rude　tools　with　which　they　work；　and　their　celerity　of　execution　are　considered。　　The　canoes；　fish…gigs；　swords；　shields；　spears；　throwing　sticks；　clubs；　and　hatchets；　are　made　by　the　men。　　To　the　women　are　committed　the　fishing…lines；　hooks　and　nets。　　As　very　ample　collections　of　all　these　articles　are　to　be　found　in　many　museums　in　England；　I　shall　only　briefly　describe　the　way　in　which　the　most　remarkable　of　them　are　made。　　The　fish…gigs　and　spears　are　commonly　（but　not　universally）　made　of　the　long　spiral　shoot　which　arises　from　the　top　of　the　yellow　gum…tree；　and　bears　the　flower。　　The　former　have　several　prongs；　barbed　with　the　bone　of　kangaroo。　　The　latter　are　sometimes　barbed　with　the　same　substance；　or　with　the　prickle　of　the　sting…ray；　or　with　stone　or　hardened　gum；　and　sometimes　simply　pointed。　　Dexterity　in　throwing　and　parrying　the　spear　is　considered　as　the　highest　acquirement。　　The　children　of　both　sexes　practice　from　the　time　that　they　are　able　to　throw　a　rush；　their　first　essay。　　It　forms　their　constant　recreation。　　They　afterwards　heave　at　each　other　with　pointed　twigs。　　He　who　acts　on　the　defensive　holds　a　piece　of　new　soft　bark　in　the　left　hand；　to　represent　a　shield；　in　which　he　receives　the　darts　of　the　assailant；　the　points　sticking　in　it。　　Now　commences　his　turn。　　He　extracts　the　twigs　and　darts　them　back　at　the　first　thrower；　who　catches　them　similarly。　　In　warding　off　the　spear　they　never　present　their　front；　but　always　turn　their　side；　their　head　at　the　same　time　just　clear　of　the　shield；　to　watch　the　flight　of　the　weapon；　and　the　body　covered。　　If　a　spear　drop　from　them　when　thus　engaged；　they　do　not　stoop　to　pick　it　up；　but　hook　it　between　the　toes　and　so　lift　it　until　it　meet　the　hand。　　Thus　the　eye　is　never　diverted　from　its　object；　the　foe。　　If　they　wish　to　break　a　spear　or　any　wooden　substance；　they　lay　it　not　across　the　thigh　or　the　body；　but　upon　the　head；　and　press　down　the　ends　until　it　snap。　　Their　shields　are　of　two　sorts。　　That　called　'illemon'　is　nothing　but　a　piece　of　bark　with　a　handle　fixed　in　the　inside　of　it。　The　other；　dug　out　of　solid　wood；　is　called　'aragoon'；　and　is　made　as　follows；　with　great　labour。　　On　the　bark　of　a　tree　they　mark　the　size　of　the　shield；　then　dig　the　outline　as　deep　as　possible　in　the　wood　with　hatchets；　and　lastly　flake　it　off　as　thick　as　they　can；　by　driving　in　wedges。　The　sword　is　a　large　heavy　piece　of　wood；　shaped　like　a　sabre；　and　capable　of　inflicting　a　mortal　wound。　　In　using　it　they　do　not　strike　with　the　convex　side；　but　with　the　concave　one；　and　strive　to　hook　in　their　antagonists　so　as　to　have　them　under　their　blows。　　The　fishing…lines　are　made　of　the　bark　of　a　shrub。　　The　women　roll　shreds　of　this　on　the　inside　of　the　thigh；　so　as　to　twist　it　together；　carefully　inserting　the　ends　of　every　fresh　piece　into　the　last　made。　　They　are　not　as　strong　as　lines　of　equal　size　formed　of　hemp。　　The　fish…hooks　are　chopped　with　a　stone　out　of　a　particular　shell；　and　afterwards　rubbed　until　they　become　smooth。　　They　are　very　much　curved；　and　not　barbed。　　Considering　the　quickness　with　which　they　are　finished；　the　excellence　of　the　work；　if　it　be　ins