white man to fear. Thus the sawyers at the Nambucca, who gave the blacks a large quantity of flour, tobacco, sugar, &c., in order to propitiate them, became immediately exposed to their murderous attacks, which did not cease until the natives had received a severe lesson or two, to convince them of the superiority of the arms of the white man."
The Rev. George Taplin says that on one occasion he witnessed a serious outbreak amongst the natives of the Lower Murray, when about one hundred people were engaged in earnest endeavours to knock each other's brains out. The quarrel arose in this way. He had permitted four girls, about sixteen years of age, to sleep in his kitchen, where the flour was kept; and the natives hearing of this, about a dozen of them, armed with spears and kanakis, called late one night, and demanded that one of the girls, named Pompanyeripuritye, should be given up, as they said she might have eaten of the flour from a bag from which the Narumbar had partaken; the Narumbar being the youths who were in course of being made young men, and forbidden to eat with women—lest they should grow ugly. The men took the girl away—though she was unwilling to leave Mr. Taplin's house. On the following morning a great disturbance arose. The natives had now firmly convinced themselves that the girls and the young men had eaten of flour taken from the same bag, and the youths and their friends attacked the tribe to which the girls belonged, and fired their wurleys. This led to a fight. By the time Mr. Taplin reached the spot there were men lying on the ground bleeding, and women were wailing over them. The warriors as yet unhurt were uttering hoarse shouts and yells of defiance, and flourishing their weapons when they were not striking at the heads of their opponents. Naked women were dancing about, casting dust in the air, and using obscene language to irritate their enemies and to encourage their friends. Mr. Taplin went fearlessly amongst them, during the uproar, and succeeded at length in persuading them to stop the fight and return to their camps, not, however, before he himself narrowly escaped death from a spear thrown by Dick Baalpulare. The spear passed within an inch of Mr. Taplin's head. The reverend gentleman adds that he had his revenge for this. Dick was bitten by a snake one day, and Mr. Taplin had the pleasure of curing him. A Missionary's life amongst the wild natives of Australia is not without its perils and excitements.
A fight amongst the Port Lincoln blacks is very well described by Mr. C. Wilhelmi:—
"The second fight, on account of attempted murder, took place in Port Lincoln, and the party about to be attacked were invited by heralds to attend the combat. The natives, upon their arrival, were painted with a white color, and wore little peeled sticks, which looked like plumes, in their hair. They marched in long line, three deep, making now and then a halt, and with one voice poured forth loud cries. As soon as they had completed these evolutions, the other party, who were rather surprised, set to work to answer the salutation. After having hastily painted themselves, and arranging themselves in single file, they marched in a regular quick short step towards the enemy, who had in the meantime formed a camp. After they had thus once or twice marched round
