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CONTENTS-VOL. I.
| PAGE | |
| Letter to the Honorable the Chief Secretary. | |
| Preface | v |
| List of Illustrations | xiii |
| Introduction | xvii |
| Physical Character.—Height, weight, and size.—Color.—Hair.—Odour.—Senses.—Physical powers.—Use of feet and toes.—Portraits of natives—Victoria and Queensland—Tasmanian—Malayo-Polynesians—Chinese.—Natives of Australia generally.—Half-castes | 1 |
| Mental Character.—Capacity and faculties.—Thomas Bungeleen.—Bennilong.—Treatment of whites.—Fidelity.—Courage.—Modes of expressing defiance and contempt.—Modesty.—Affections | 22 |
| Numbers and Distribution of the Aborigines.—Estimate made by Sir Thomas Mitchell—By Mr. E. S. Parker—By Mr. Wm. Thomas.—Numbers in the Counties of Bourke, Evelyn, and Mornington.—Character of the country inhabited by the natives.—Available area.—The tribes of the river-basins.—New estimate of the numbers.—Natives seen by Landsborough.—Difficulty of estimating the numbers seen in the bush.—Map showing the areas occupied by tribes.—Names of "petty nations" and tribes.—Number and distribution of natives in 1863 and subsequently.—Number now living.—Number collected at the several Aboriginal stations | 31 |
| Birth and Education of Children.—Birth.—Behaviour towards the mother.—Treatment of the infant.—Mode of carrying children.—Nurture.—Procuring food.—Swimming.—Education.—Sports.—Toys.—Natives affectionate and gentle in their treatment of children.—No artificial means used to alter the form of the body of a child.—Infanticide.—Naming children.—Coming of age of young men and young women—Ceremonies in various parts of Australia—Tib-but—Murrum Tur-uk-ur-uk—Jerryale.—Upper Yarra natives.—Lake Tyers.—The Narrinyeri.—Port Lincoln.—New South Wales.—Macleay and Nambucca.—Circumcision | 46 |
| Marriage.—Obtaining wives.—Betrothals.—Early marriages.—Elopements—The ordeal.—Condition of a young unmarried man.—Fights.—Maiming the bride.—How matches are made.—Barter.—Meeting of the young man and the young women.—Promiscuous Intercourse not common.—Exogamy.—Classes in Victoria—In South Australia.—Children take the family name of the mother.—A man may not marry a woman of his own class.—Classes at Port Lincoln—In West Australia—In New South Wales—At Port Essington.—Investigations of Fison and Howitt.—Morgan's theories respecting laws of marriage and systems of consanguinity—Bridgman's statements as to the system in Queensland—Stewart's account of that in force at Mount Gambler—Effect of the prohibitions.—Latham's remarks on these laws.—Strezelecki's theory respecting curtailment of power of continuing the species under certain circumstances—Its fallacy exposed.—Statements of Hartmann, Green, and Hagenauer.—A man may not see or speak to his mother-in-law.—Behaviour towards widows.—Marriages of black men with white women | 76 |
