a complete account of the settlement-第44章

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hey　lie　（both　of　which　are　common　accidents）　they　cover　the　part　with　a　thin　paste　of　kneaded　clay；　which　excludes　the　air　and　adheres　to　the　wound　until　it　be　cured；　and　the　eschar　falls　off。

＇*Their　native　hardiness　of　constitution　is　great。　　I　saw　a　woman　on　the　day　she　was　brought　to　bed；　carry　her　new…born　infant　from　Botany　Bay　to　Port　Jackson；　a　distance　of　six　miles；　and　afterwards　light　a　fire　and　dress　fish。＇

Their　form　of　government；　and　the　detail　of　domestic　life；　yet　remain　untold。　The　former　cannot　occupy　much　space。　　Without　distinctions　of　rank；　except　those　which　youth　and　vigour　confer；　theirs　is　strictly　a　system　of　'equality'　attended　with　only　one　inconveniencethe　strong　triumph　over　the　weak。　　Whether　any　laws　exist　among　them　for　the　punishment　of　offences　committed　against　society；　or　whether　the　injured　party　in　all　cases　seeks　for　relief　in　private　revenge；　I　will　not　positively　affirm；　though　I　am　strongly　inclined　to　believe　that　only　the　latter　method　prevails。　I　have　already　said　that　they　are　divided　into　tribes；　but　what　constitutes　the　right　of　being　enrolled　in　a　tribe；　or　where　exclusion　begins　and　ends；　I　am　ignorant。　　The　tribe　of　Cameragal　is　of　all　the　most　numerous　and　powerful。　　Their　superiority　probably　arose　from　possessing　the　best　fishing　ground；　and　perhaps　from　their　having　suffered　less　from　the　ravages　of　the　smallpox。

In　the　domestic　detail　there　may　be　novelty；　but　variety　is　unattainable。　One　day　must　be　very　like　another　in　the　life　of　a　savage。　　Summoned　by　the　calls　of　hunger　and　the　returning　light；　he　starts　from　his　beloved　indolence；　and　snatching　up　the　remaining　brand　of　his　fire；　hastens　with　his　wife　to　the　strand　to　commence　their　daily　task。　　In　general　the　canoe　is　assigned　to　her；　into　which　she　puts　the　fire　and　pushes　off　into　deep　water；　to　fish　with　hook　and　line；　this　being　the　province　of　the　women。　　If　she　have　a　child　at　the　breast；　she　takes　it　with　her。　And　thus　in　her　skiff；　a　piece　of　bark　tied　at　both　ends　with　vines；　and　the　edge　of　it　but　just　above　the　surface　of　the　water；　she　pushes　out　regardless　of　the　elements；　if　they　be　but　commonly　agitated。　While　she　paddles　to　the　fishing…bank；　and　while　employed　there；　the　child　is　placed　on　her　shoulders；　entwining　its　little　legs　around　her　neck　and　closely　grasping　her　hair　with　its　hands。　　To　its　first　cries　she　remains　insensible；　as　she　believes　them　to　arise　only　from　the　inconvenience　of　a　situation；　to　which　she　knows　it　must　be　inured。　But　if　its　plaints　continue；　and　she　supposes　it　to　be　in　want　of　food；　she　ceases　her　fishing　and　clasps　it　to　her　breast。　　An　European　spectator　is　struck　with　horror　and　astonishment　at　their　perilous　situation；　but　accidents　seldom　happen。　　The　management　of　the　canoe　alone　appears　a　work　of　unsurmountable　difficulty；　its　breadth　is　so　inadequate　to　its　length。　　The　Indians；　aware　of　its　ticklish　formation；　practise　from　infancy　to　move　in　it　without　risk。　　Use　only　could　reconcile　them　to　the　painful　position　in　which　they　sit　in　it。　　They　drop　in　the　middle　of　the　canoe　upon　their　knees；　and　resting　the　buttocks　on　the　heels；　extend　the　knees　to　the　sides；　against　which　they　press　strongly；　so　as　to　form　a　poise　sufficient　to　retain　the　body　in　its　situation；　and　relieve　the　weight　which　would　otherwise　fall　wholly　upon　the　toes。　Either　in　this　position　or　cautiously　moving　in　the　centre　of　the　vessel；　the　mother　tends　her　child；　keeps　up　her　fire　（which　is　laid　on　a　small　patch　of　earth）；　paddles　her　boat；　broils　fish　and　provides　in　part　the　subsistence　of　the　day。　　Their　favourite　bait　for　fish　is　a　cockle。

The　husband　in　the　mean　time　warily　moves　to　some　rock；　over　which　he　can　peep　into　unruffled　water　to　look　for　fish。　　For　this　purpose　he　always　chooses　a　weather　shore；　and　the　various　windings　of　the　numerous　creeks　and　indents　always　afford　one。　　Silent　and　watchful；　he　chews　a　cockle　and　spits　it　into　the　water。　　Allured　by　the　bait；　the　fish　appear　from　beneath　the　rock。　He　prepares　his　fish…gig；　and　pointing　it　downward；　moves　it　gently　towards　the　object；　always　trying　to　approach　it　as　near　as　possible　to　the　fish　before　the　stroke　be　given。　　At　last　he　deems　himself　sufficiently　advanced　and　plunges　it　at　his　prey。　　If　he　has　hit　his　mark；　he　continues　his　efforts　and　endeavours　to　transpierce　it　or　so　to　entangle　the　barbs　in　the　flesh　as　to　prevent　its　escape。　　When　he　finds　it　secure　he　drops　the　instrument；　and　the　fish；　fastened　on　the　prongs；　rises　to　the　surface；　floated　by　the　buoyancy　of　the　staff。　　Nothing　now　remains　to　be　done　but　to　haul　it　to　him；　with　either　a　long　stick　or　another　fish…gig　（for　an　Indian；　if　he　can　help　it；　never　goes　into　the　water　on　these　occasions）　to　disengage　it；　and　to　look　out　for　fresh　sport。

But　sometimes　the　fish　have　either　deserted　the　rocks　for　deeper　water；　or　are　too　shy　to　suffer　approach。　　He　then　launches　his　canoe；　and　leaving　the　shore　behind；　watches　the　rise　of　prey　out　of　the　water；　and　darts　his　gig　at　them　to　the　distance　of　many　yards。　　Large　fish　he　seldom　procures　by　this　method；　but　among　shoals　of　mullets；　which　are　either　pursued　by　enemies；　or　leap　at　objects　on　the　surface；　he　is　often　successful。　Baneelon　has　been　seen　to　kill　more　than　twenty　fish　by　this　method　in　an　afternoon。　　The　women　sometimes　use　the　gig；　and　always　carry　one　in　each　canoe　to　strike　large　fish　which　may　be　hooked　and　thereby　facilitate　the　capture。　　But　generally　speaking；　this　instrument　is　appropriate　to　the　men；　who　are　never　seen　fishing　with　the　line；　and　would　indeed　consider　it　as　a　degradation　of　their　pre…eminence。

When　prevented　by　tempestuous　weather　or　any　other　cause；　from　fishing；　these　people　suffer　severely。　　They　have　then　no　resource　but　to　pick　up　shellfish；　which　may　happen　to　cling　to　the　rocks；　and　be　cast　on　the　beach；　to　hunt　particular　reptiles　and　small　animals；　which　are　scarce；　to　dig　fern　root　in　the　swamps　or　to　gather　a　few　berries；　destitute　of　flavour　and　nutrition；　which　the　woods　afford。　　To　alleviate　the　sensation　of　hunger；　they　tie　a　ligature　tightly　around　the　belly；　as　I　have　often　seen　our　soldiers　do　from　the　same　cause。

Let　us；　however；　suppose　them　successful　in　procuring　fish。　　The　wife　returns　to　land　with　her　booty；　and　the　husband　quitting　the　rock　joins　his　stock　to　hers；　and　they　repair　either　to　some　neighbouring　cavern　or　to　their　hut。　This　last　is　composed　of　pieces　of　bark；　very　rudely　piled　together；　in　shape　as　like　a　soldier's　tent　as　any　known　image　to　which　I　can　compare　it：　too　low　to　admit　the　lord　of　it　to　stand　upright；　but　long　and　wide　enough　to　admit　three　or　four　persons　to　lie　under　it。　　〃Here　shelters　himself　a　being；　born　with　all　those　powers　which　education　expands；　and　all　those　sensations　which　culture　refines。〃　　With　a　lighted　stick　brought　from　the　canoe　they　now　kindle　a　small　fire　at　the　mouth　of　the　hut　and　prepare　to　dress　their　meal。　　They　begin　by　throwing　the　fish　exactly　in　the　state　in　which　it　came　from　the　water；　on　the　fire。　　When　it　has　become　a　little　warmed　they　take　it　off；　rub　away　the　scales；　and　then　peal　off　with　their　teeth　the　surface；　which　they　find　done　and　eat。　　Now；　and　not　before；　they　gut　it；　but　if　the　fish　be　a　mullet　or　any　other　which　has　a　fatty　substance　about　the　intestines；　they　carefully　guard　that　part　and　esteem　it　a　delicacy。　　The　cooking　is　now　completed　by　the　remaining　part　being　laid　on　the　fire　until　it　be　sufficiently　done。　A　bird；　a　lizard；　a　rat；　or　any　other　animal；　they　treat　in　the　same　manner。　The　feathers　of　the　one　and　the　fur　of　the　other；　they　thus　get　rid　of。*

＇*They　broil　indiscriminately　all　substances　which　they　eat。　　Though　they　boil　water　in　small　quantities　in　oyster　shells　for　particular　purposes；　they　never　conceived　it　possible　until　shown　by　us；　to　dress　meat　by　this　method；　having　no　vessel　capable　of　containing　a　fish　or　a　bird　which　would　stand　fire。　　Two　of　them　once　stole　twelve　pounds　of　rice　and　carried　it　off。　　They　knew　how　we　cooked　it；　and　by　way　of　putting　it　in　practice　they　spread　the　rice　on　the　ground　before　a　fire；　and　as　it　grew　hot　continued　to　throw　water　on　it。　　Their　ingenuity　was　however　very　ill　rewarded；　for　the　r