by different wives, but each family will become attached to and incur the responsibilities of that of the mother, and as all such relations become involved in the guilt of any crime, if the offender cannot be reached, any other relative may have to suffer instead. The nearest relative is bound to inflict punishment in case of death from violence, and indeed, as death is not considered natural, but if from disease the consequence of witchcraft or sorcery, and as the Bolyas or sorcerers would probably be bribed to inflict disease, or, in any case, would be of some other family, retaliation is immediately sought on those thought most likely to have been the cause. Homicide in obedience to law is therefore common among them. Their law is blood for blood, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But it must not be forgotten that it is not so many years since such laws were in force in some parts of Great Britain and Ireland, and that they are similar to those of Moses. Females are betrothed when young, often from their birth, and may be claimed at any time. On the death of the husband the wives and children pass to the brother. A father's property is divided among his male children. All property in land is held for hunting and obtaining food. The limits are well known, and trespassers, for those purposes, punished by law severely.
The aborigines of West Australia are very fond of music and dancing; their songs are sometimes traditional, some often extempore, and by such songs the women often excite the men to acts of violence. The women are severely punished by the men, even for trifling offences, and, when incited by jealousy, fight furiously with their wannas or digging sticks, some of which are about five feet long, one and a half-inch in diameter, and of hard heavy wood, like small quarter staves.
