Mr. Peter Beveridge, writing of the habits of the Lower Murray Aborigines, confirms this statement. "Infanticide," he writes, "is often practised, and meals are too often made by mothers of their own offspring. This practice is attributable to laziness principally; for if a mother has two children, one two years old, and the other just born, she is sure to destroy the youngest."
Mr. W. E. Stanbridge, already well known as an accurate observer of the customs of the natives, is also compelled to speak of this unnatural practice. He describes them as cannibals of the lowest description. "New-born babes are killed by their parents, and eaten by them and their children. When such revolting occurrences take place, the previously-born child is unable to walk, and the opinion is that, by its eating as much as possible of the roasted infant, it will possess the strength of both."
The Rev. F. A. Hagenauer knows of only one case of an attempt to kill a new-born babe. It was buried alive in the sand, but was rescued by a relative. This child, now sixteen years of age, is living at Lake Wellington. Mr. Hagenauer says that it was a common practice of the Gippsland Aborigines in former days to bury new-born babes alive in the sand.
Mr. Gason, writing of the Dieyerie tribe (Cooper's Creek), says:—"The children are never beaten, and should any woman violate this law, she is in turn beaten by her husband. Notwithstanding this tenderness for their remaining offspring, about thirty per cent. are murdered by their mothers at their birth, simply for the reasons—firstly, that many of them marrying very young, their first-born is considered immature, and not worth preserving; and, secondly, because they do not wish to be at the trouble of rearing them, especially if weakly. Indeed, all sickly or deformed children are made away with, in fear of their becoming a burden to the tribe. The children so destroyed are generally smothered in sand, or have their brains dashed out by some weapon: the men never interfering, or any of either sex regarding infanticide as a crime. Hardly an old woman, if questioned, but will admit of having disposed in this manner of from two to four of her offspring."
The Rev. Geo. Taplin says that "infanticide is not prevalent amongst the Narrinyeri (Lower Murray and Lakes) at the present time. Thirteen years ago one-third of the infants which were born were put to death. Every child which was born before the one which preceded it could walk was destroyed, because the mother was regarded as incapable of carrying two. All deformed children were killed as soon as born. Of twins, one, and often both, were put to death. About one-half of the half-caste infants fell victims to the jealousy of the husbands of the mothers. Many illegitimate children—that is, children born before their mothers were given in marriage—were murdered."[1]
- ↑ Mr. Taplin adds to this statement the following:—"This terrible crime of infanticide is covered up and concealed from the observation of the whites with extreme care. The bush life which they lead affords every facility for so doing. I was myself for some time in ignorance that it existed to such an extent as it does. Only very intimate acquaintance with the natives led me to discover its prevalence. I remember two instances of it. In one, the mother hated the child, because she had been given in marriage to its father against her will; therefore, with the assistance of another female, she murdered it in the most brutal manner. The other was an illegitimate child of a girl called Pompanyeripooritye. I was informed of the birth, and got the nearest relatives to
