man, quietly submits, and allows herself to be taken away to the camp of her future husband. She there begins to perform at once the duties which usually fall to the share of the wife—namely, building a new camp—getting firewood, &c., and on journeys acting as a carrier for all the worldly goods of her husband. These are packed on her back, all excepting his war implements, which he himself deigns to carry.[1]
Though the marriages of Aboriginals are not solemnized by any rites which amongst civilized peoples serve to make the contract, if not binding, at least a solemn and serious one, it must not be supposed that, as a rule, there is anything like promiscuous intercourse. When a man obtains a good wife, he keeps her as a precious possession, as long as she is fit to help him, and minister to his wants, and increase his happiness.[2] No other man must look with affection towards her. If she shows favor towards another and be discovered, she may suffer heavy punishment—be put to death even.[3] Promiscuous intercourse is
- ↑ Jardine, in his narrative, refers to this custom. At Camp No. 67, on the Dalhunty Creek, he saw the gins carrying spears and shields on the march, the men carrying only a nulla or two. When looking for game, the men, of course, carry spears and other implements.
- ↑ "Considering the industry and skill of their gins and wives [of the Darling] in making nets, sewing cloaks, mussel-fishing, rooting, &c., and their patient submission to labor, always carrying bags containing the whole property of the family while they follow their masters, the great value of a gin to one of these lazy fellows may be easily imagined. Accordingly, the possession of them appears to be associated with all their ideas of fighting; while, on the other hand, the gins have it in their power on such occasions to evince that universal characteristic of the fair, a partiality for the brave. Thus it is that after a battle they do not always follow the fugitives from the field, but not unfrequently go over, as a matter of course, to the victors, even with young children on their backs."—Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, &c., by T. L. Mitchell, F.G.S., &c.
"If a man have several girls at his disposal, he speedily obtains several wives, who, however, very seldom agree well with each other, but are continually quarrelling, each endeavouring to be the favorite. The man, regarding them more as slaves than in any other light, employs them in every possible way to his own advantage. They are obliged to get him shell-fish, roots, and eatable plants."—Encounter Bay Tribe. Meyer.
"It is the females' province to clear away the grass within the lodge, lest it should take fire; to collect firewood and make the fire, which is always very small, so that it may not attract the attention of an enemy. When travelling, they always carry fire, that is, a piece of lighted bark. She fetches water, if it be near, in a bowl-shapen excrescence of some tree [Tar-nuk]; but if far away, it is carried in a small skin taken off the animal through the opening of the neck; either the feet and tail are left on, or the openings are secured by a sinew. She also gathers any edible roots or succulent vegetables that grow in the neighbourhood. The fleshy roots in general use are called Cooloor, Palilla, and Munya; the two first species of gerauium are of an acrid flavor until roasted; the last is sweet, and frequently eaten uncooked; the roots of the bulrush and an aquatic plant are also occasionally used for food. The succulent vegetables in general use are the youug tops of the Munya, the Sow-thistle, and several kinds of Fig-marigold. At Mount Gambler the females collect large quantities of the roots of the fern, which are eaten when baked, as well as the pretty green and gold frogs, and a very fleshy mushroom which is red on the upper and green on the under side; these are brought home strung on rushes. Our mushroom is very rarely used. In spring they gather cakes of wattle (mimosa) gum, and use it dissolved in water. The implement with which the roots are gathered, and which is constantly carried by the women for offensive and defensive purposes, is a small pole, seven or eight feet long, straightened and hardened by fire, flattened and pointed at the end."—W. E. Stanbridge.
- ↑ In a review of a work entitled Brides and Bridals, in the Athenæum of the 16th November 1872, there occurs the following very interesting statement:—"An old Welsh law authorized the infliction of three blows with a broom-stick on any part of the person except the head," but does not appear to have "limited the frequency or severity of the doses; and by an ancient continental rule the wife was considered to have just cause for complaint only when knocked down with a bar of
