Wales. They are selected from "An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales," juft published in Quarto, by David Collins, Efq. late Judge Advocate and Secretary of the colony, a Gentleman who went out with the firtt Ships in 1787, and refided there above Nine Years.

Government.

We found, fays Mr Collins, the natives about Botany Bay, Port Jack fon, and Broken Bay, living in that ftate of nature which must have been common to all men previous to their uniting in fociety, and acknowledging but one authority. Thefe people are distributed into families, the

head or fenior of which exacts com

pliance from the rest. In our early intercourse with them (and indeed at a much later period, on our meeting with families to whom we were unknown) we were always accosted by the person who appeared to be the eldest of the party, while the women, youths, and children, were kept at a diftance. The word that in their language fignifies father, was applied to their old men; and when, after fome time, and by clofe obfervation, they perceived the authority with which governor Phillip commanded, and the obedience which he exacted, they bestowed on him the diftinguifhing apellation of Be-anna, or father. This title being conferred folely on him (although they perceived the authority of mafters over their fervants) places the true fenfe of the word beyond a doubt, and proves, that to thofe among them who enjoyed that diftinction, belonged the authority of a chief.

When any of these came into the town, we have been immediately in formed of their arrival, and they have been pointed out to our notice in a whisper, and with an eagernefs of manner which, while it drew our attention, impreffed us with anidea that we were looking at perfons, to whom fome confequence was attached even

among the favages of New Holland. Another acceptation of the word Be-anna, however, foon became evident; for we obferved it to be frequently applied by children to men who we knew had not any children of their own. On enquiry we were informed, that in cafe a father fhould die, the nearest of kin, or fome deputed friend, would take care of his children; and for this reason those children flyled them Be-anna, though in the life-time of their natural parent. This Ben-nil-lon (the native who was fome time in England) confirmed to at the death of his first wife, by configning the care of his infant daughter Dil-boong (who at the time of her mother's decease was at the breaft) to his friend governor Phillip, telling him that he was to become the Be-anna, or father of his little girl. Here, if the reader paufes for a moment to confider the dif ference between the general conduct of our baptifmal fponfors (to whofe duties this cuftom bears much refemblance) and the humane practice of these uncivilized people, will not the comparifon fuffufe his cheek with fomething like thame, at feeing the enlightened Chriftian fo diftant in the race of humanity by the untutored favage, who has hitherto been the object of his pity and contempt? But forry am I to recollect, and as a faithful narrator to be impelled to relate, one particular in their cuftoms, that is wholly irreconcileable with the humane duties, which they have prefcribed to themselves in the above inftance; duties which relate only to thofe children who in the event of lofing the mother, could live without her immediate aid. A far different lot is reserved for fuch as are at that time at the breaft, or in a state of abfolute helpleffnefs, as will be feen hereafter.

We have mentioned their being divided into families. Each family has a particular place of refidence,

from

:

from which is derived its diftinguish ing name. This is formed by adding the monofyllable Gal, to the name of the place thus the fouthern fhore of Botany Bay is called Gwea, and the people who inhabit it tile themfelves Gweagal. Thofe who live on the north fhore of Port Jackfon, are called Cam-mer-ray-gal, that part of the harbour being distinguished from others by the name of Cam mer-ray. Of this laft family or tribe we have heard Ben-nil-long, and other natives fpeak (before we knew them our felves) as of a very powerful people. who could oblige them to attend whenever and wherever they directed. We afterward found them to be by far the most numerous tribe of any within our knowledge. It fo happened, that they were alfo the most robuft and mufcular, and that among them were feveral of the people ftyled Carrah-dy and Car-rah-di-gang, of which extraordinary perfonages we fhall have to speak particularly, under the article Superftition.

To the tribe of Cam-mer-ray alfo belonged the exclufive and extraordinary privilege of exacting a tooth from the natives of other tribes inhabiting the fea-coaft, or of all fuch as were within their authority. The exercife of this privilege places thefe people in a particular point of view; and there is no doubt of their decided fuperiority over all the tribes with whom we were acquainted. Many contefts or decifions of honour (for fuch there are among them) have been delayed until the arrival of thefe people; and when they came, it was impoffible not to obferve the fuperiority and influence, which their numbers and their mufcular appearance gave them over the other tribes.

These are all the traces that could ever be discovered among them of

government or fubordination; and we may imagine the deference which is paid to the tribe of Cam-mer-ray, to be derived wholly from their fuperiority of numbers; but this fuperiority they may have maintained a long time before we knew them; and indeed the privilege of demanding a tooth from the young men of other families, muft have been of long ftanding, and coeval with the obedience which was paid to them: hence their fuperiority partakes fomething of the nature of a conftituted authority; an authority which has the fanction of cuftom to plead for its continuance. Religion.

It has been afferted by an eminent divine*, that no country has yet been difcovered where fome trace of religion was not to be found. From every obfervation and enquiry I could make among thefe people, from the firft to the laft of my acquaintance with them, I can fafely pronounce them an exception to this opinion t. I am certain that they do not worship either fun, moon, or ftar; that, however neceffary fire may be to them, it is not an object of adoration; neither have they refpect for any particular beaft, bird, or fish. I never could difcover any object, either fubftantial or imaginary, that impelled to the commiffion of good actions, or deterred them from the perpetration of what we deem crimes. There indeed exifted among them fome idea of a future ftate, but not connected in any-wife with religion; for it has no influence whatever on their lives and actions. On their being often queftioned as to what became of them after their deceafe, fome answered that they went either on or beyond the great water; but by far the greater number fignified, that they went to the clouds. Converfing with Ben-nil-long after

his

his return from England, where he had obtained much knowledge of our customs and manners, I wished to learn what were his ideas of the place from which his countrymen came, and led him to the fubject by obferving, that all the white men here came froin England. I then asked him where the black men (or Eora) came from? He hesitated. Did they come from any island? His anfwer was, that he knew of none: they came from the clouds (alluding perhaps to the aborigines of the country) and when they died they returned to the clouds. He wifhed to make me underftand that they afcended in the fhape of little children, firft hovering in the tops and in the branches of trees; and mentioned fomething about their eat ing, in that state, their favourite food, little fishes.

If this idea of the immortality of the foul fhould excite a file, is it more extraordinary than the belief which obtains among fome of us, that at the last day the various disjointed bones of men fhall find out each its proper owner, and be reunited? The favage here treads clofe upon the footsteps of the Chriftian.

The natives who inhabit the harbour to the northward, called by us Port Stephens, believed that five white men who were cast away among them, had formerly been their countrymen, and took one of them to the grave, where, he told him, the body he at that time occupied had been interred. If this account, given us by men who may well be fuppofed to deal in the marvellous, can be depended upon, how much more ignorant are the natives of Port Stephens, who live only thirty leagues to the northward of us, than the natives of and about Port Jackfon?

The young people who refided in our houfes, were very defirous of going to church on Sundays, but knew not for what purpose we attended. I have often feen them take a book,

and with much fuccefs imitate the clergyman in his manner, (for better and readier mimics can no where be found) laughing and enjoying the applause they received.

I remember to have seen in a newspaper, or pamphlet, an account of a native throwing himself in the way of a man, who was about to shoot a crow; and the perfon who wrote the account drew an inference, that the bird was an object of worship: but [ can with confidence affirm, that so far from dreading to fee a crow killed, they are very fond of eating it, and take the following particular method to enfnare that bird: a native will ftretch himself on a rock, as if afleep in the fun, holding a piece of fish in his open hand; the bird, be it hawk or crow, feeing the prey, and not obfeiving any motion in the native, pounces on the fith, and, in the inftant of feizing it, is caught by the native, who foon throws him on the fire, and makes a meal of him.

That they have ideas of a diftinction between good and bad, is evident from their having terms in their language fignificant of thefe qualities. Thus, the fting-ray was wee-re, bad; it was a fish of which they never ate. The paata-go-rang or kangaroo was hood-yer-re, good, and they ate it whenever they were fortunate enough to kill one of these animals.

To exalt thefe people at all above the brute creation, it is neceffary to fhew that they had the gift of reason, and that they knew the diftinction between right and wrong, as well as between what food was good and what was bad. Of thefe latter qualities their fenfes informed them; but the knowledge of right and wrong could only proceed from reafon. It is true, they had no diflinction in terms for theft qualities-wee-re and bood-yer-re alike, implying what was good and bad, and right and wrong. Inftances however were not wanting of their uling them to defcribe the fenfations

of

of the mind as well as of the fenfes; thus their enemies were wee-re; their friends bood-yer-re. On our speaking of cannibalifm, they expreffed great horror at the mention, and faid it was wee-re. On feeing any of our people punished or reproved for ill-treating them, they expreffed their approbation, and faid it was bood-yer-re, it was right. Midnight murders, though frequently practifed among them whenever paffion or revenge were uppermoft, they reprobated: but they applauded acts of kindness and generofity, for of both thefe they were capable. A man who would not ftand to have a fpear thrown at him, but ran away, was a coward jee run and wee-re. But their knowledge of the difference between right and wrong, certainly never extended beyond their existence in this world; not leading them to believe that the practice of either had any relation to their future ftate; this was manifeft from their idea of quitting this world, or rather of entering the next, in the form of little children, under which form they would re-appear in this.

Courtship and Marriage. How will the refined ear of gallantry be wounded, at reading an account of the courtship of these people? I have faid that there was a delicacy visible in the manners of the females. Is it not fhocking then to think that the prelude to love in this country fhould be violence? Yet fuch it is, and of the moft brutal nature; thefe unfortunate victims of luft and cruelty (I can call them by no better name) are, I believe, always felected from the women of tribe different from that of the males, (for they ought not to be dignified with the title of men) and with whom they are at enmity. Secrecy is neceffarily obferved, and the poor wretch is ftolen upon in the abfence of her protectors; being firft ftupified with blows, inflicted with clubs or wooden fwords, on the head,

1

back, and fhoulders, every one of which is followed by a stream of blood, he is dragged through the woods by one arm, with a perfeverance and violence that one might fuppofe would difplace it from its focket; the lover, or rather the ravifher, is regardless of the ftones or broken pieces of trees, which may lie in his route, being anxious only to convey his prize in fafety to his own party, where a scene enfues too shocking to relate. This outrage is not refented by the relations of the female, who only retaliate by a fimilar outrage when they find it in their power. This is fo conftantly the practice among them, that even the children make it a game or exercife; and I have often, on hearing the cries of the girls with whom they were playing, ran out of my house, thinking fome murder was committed, but have found the whole party laughing at my mistake.

The women, thus ravished become their wives, are incorporated into the tribe to which the husband belongs, and but feldom quit him for another.

Many of the men with whom we were acquainted did not confine themfelves to one woman. Ben-nil-long, previous to his vifit to England, was poffeffed of two wives, (if wives they may be called) both living with him, and attending on him wherever he went. One named Ba-rang-a-roo, who was of the tribe of Cam-mer-ray, (Ben-nil-long himself was a Wahngal) lived with him at the time he was feized and brought a captive to the fettlement with Cole-be; and before her death he had brought off from Botany Bay, by the violence before defcribed, Goo-roo-bar-roo boollo, the daughter of an old man named Met-ty, a native of that district; and the continued with him until his departure for England. We were told, on the banks of the Hawkefbury, that all the men there, and inland, had two wives. Cole be, Ben-nil-long's

friend,