with their yam-sticks. Finally the head-men, after much discussion, settled the differences, and this great battle was finished.
Mr. Thomas states that of all the fights he has seen he has never known but of one death to arise from their frays.[1] He has seen desperate wounds inflicted very often, but none but one was mortal. The one death referred to was that of Ter-run-uk, a fine young blackfellow of the Bun-ung-on tribe, who, in a fight with the Barrabool men, was struck with a wonguim, which passed through the lower part of his thigh. He was carefully attended to by Mr. Thomas, who had him removed to his own farm at Pentridge, but he died, contrary to the expectations of the large number of natives who were encamped near Melbourne at the time and witnessed the occurrence.
In the great fight above described six natives were severely wounded, one being penetrated by a double-jagged spear. It went quite through his thigh. The long part was broken off, and the remainder dragged through the wound. Ten of the women had their knuckles broken, and many of the men were injured by the wonguim.
Mr. Thomas does not say what punishment was finally inflicted on the men accused of murder. It is to be presumed that they were dealt with during the mêlée.
When the fighting is quite at an end there is, says Mr. Thomas, an end also to all animosity. The wounded are carefully attended to, sometimes by those who a short time before were bent on inflicting wounds; the injured parts are washed, and such simple remedies as are known to them are quickly applied.
The fights of the natives are conducted, in all parts of Australia, pretty much after the manner described by Buckley.
A very interesting account of a series of fights amongst the tribes living on the Macleay River (lat. 31° S.) is given in Mr. Clement Hodgkinson's work, entitled Australia, from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay. He says:—
"The fights of the natives are generally conducted on the principles of retributive justice. Their mode of warfare is fair, open, and manly; for tribes on hostile terms scorn to take the least undue advantage of each other, and the instant a fight is concluded, both parties seem perfectly reconciled, and jointly assist in tending the wounded men. In this respect the quarrels of the Aborigines of New South Wales present a striking contrast to the cruel and treacherous warfare of the North American Indians and the ferocious and implacable contests which used to take place among the ci-devant man-eating New Zealanders. Acts of treachery sometimes occur between individual natives; but these acts, though they involve the tribe to which the offending party belongs in war with the other tribe, are always punished, as the offender has always to bear the brunt of the engagement, and stand for some time alone, unassisted by his companions, as a butt for the spears of the immediate relations of the man whom he has killed or wounded. It seems to be a regular principle with the Australian Aborigines that blood must be shed for blood; and, as an example will better illustrate the warfare of the natives than a general
- ↑ See statement respecting loss of life in fights, p. 32.
