Fern Vale; or, the Queensland Squatter. Volume 2

by Colin Munro

When shall the world call down, to cleanse her shame,

That embryo spirit, yet without a name."

Campbell.

The blacks commenced their obsequies with a lugubrious mien; and after collecting the bodies, which numbered nearly a hundred, prepared to entomb them according to their own peculiar custom. Usually, upon the death of a black, the surviving relatives bemoan their loss by besmearing themselves with coloured clay or mud, and venting their grief for days in fasting, frantic gestures, and wails; while the gin (if the deceased be a man possessed of one) covers her head with white feathers, which species of mourning she wears for a "moon," i.e., a month. On this occasion, however, the deceased were nearly all the members of separate families, and the survivors had little sympathy for them, except in common; consequently, the last rites were performed in uniform silence.

For each body was erected four forked posts (standing about four feet high), on which were formed a platform of boughs, so as to make a sort of foliate table to support the lifeless clay. The bodies, when duly placed, were then over-spread with long dry grass, and, afterwards, with an outer covering of boughs, which, to be prevented being removed by the weather, were tied together at each end as a bundle of sticks. These impromptu sepulchres were elevated from the ground just sufficiently to prevent the access of the native dogs, and protected overhead from the molestation of carnivorous birds by the covering we have described. They are, however, no more defended, than a subterranean tenement would be, from the depredations of insects and vermin; the most numerous of which, who attack this, or any other carrion in the Australian bush, being ants; which have rightly been designated "nature's scavengers."

In such encasements it is not to be wondered at that the flesh is speedily removed from the bones; and, after a short time, they stand inoffensive monuments to the memory of departed friends. They remain intact for years; until, either consumed by some bush fire, washed away by some gigantic flood, or the supports give way under the decay of successive seasons, the sepulchre and its enshrined contents fall together to the earth to reunite with their parent dust.

When the blacks finished their toil, the cemetery had a most extraordinary appearance. With nearly a hundred four-legged tombs, of various size placed side by side, and their heads set facing the rising sun, they almost filled the centre space of the camp; and, with the conical gunyahs around them in a wide circle, they presented, at the cessation of the buryer's work, one of the most novel and picturesque scenes that could be imagined.

Upon being informed by Jemmy Davies that he could now speak to the blacks Mr. Wigton called them together, and addressing them in their own language, said: "My friends! you say I am the white man who speaks of the great Spirit; I would speak of him to you now. I know that you say there is no good Spirit, only an evil one; but you are wrong, for there are both; and of the good one I will now tell you. A very long time ago he made all the big hills, and large rivers, the plains, and the great sea; and he made man, and all the beasts, birds, and fishes; he made white men, and black men; he made everything. When he made the first man, he told him he would love him, and teach him great wisdom, if he would do what the great Spirit wished. He gave him a wife and put them both in a large country, where was plenty fruit that possums and parrots like, and which was very good for man. But one tree was there that they were not to touch; because it belonged to the evil spirit. The good Spirit told man, that if he eat the fruit that grew on that tree he would be wicked, and the good Spirit wouldn't love him. But when the good Spirit left him, and the man and his wife 'walked all about,' and saw a very fine country with plenty of fruit to eat, and plenty of animals who would not do him any harm, but come to him when he called them, he was very much pleased. But the evil spirit presently came to the woman and said to her, 'Now, you take that fruit that the good Spirit says belongs to me, and that is not good; you will find it very good, the best in the country; it belongs to me and you may take as much of it as you like.' Now the woman did not care what the good Spirit had told her, so she took it, and gave some of it to the man, after telling him what the evil spirit had said to her, and they both eat it. But when the good Spirit knew it, he was very angry; and told the man and the woman, that as they had done what he had told them not to do, and had stolen the fruit off the tree which he told them not to touch, he would turn them out of the country into another country where there was no fruit growing, and where the beasts were all wild and where they would have to work for their food, and always be in danger and trouble. So you see the first trouble that there was in the world, was from stealing and disobeying the good Spirit; and the man and woman were punished, though they did not die like your friends this morning.

"Well, my friends, the man and woman lived a long time together, and they died; and others grew up, and they died; and so on, until by and bye a great many people lived on the earth, who forgot all about the good Spirit; just as you have done. Then the good Spirit was very sorry for them, because they did as the evil spirit told them; and when they died, they all went to the evil spirit, and lived with him in fire. But the good Spirit wished them to live with Him in a beautiful country, where they would never want to eat and drink, but would always be happy. So He sent them His Son to tell them what to do to please Him, and make themselves happy, when they 'jump up' again in the sky, after they die on the earth. He told them what to do, but very few of the people did it; for the evil spirit always persuaded them not to notice Him, or believe Him. But the good Spirit did many good things for them. He brought to life again some of their friends after they had died; and He made food 'jump up' when they were hungry, their clothes never to wear out, and plenty such things. And He told them that if they did as he said they would go to His Father's country in the sky, and live there with Him in happiness and never die; but that if they would not do as He told them, they would have to go to the evil spirit, where they would be always burning, and never die either; while their sufferings would always continue. To escape this, and procure happiness, He told them what they must do. The good Spirit loved them; so they must love the good Spirit. The good Spirit hated murder, theft, lies, and cruelty; so they must hate them too. They must be peaceable and kind to one another, and, next to the good Spirit Himself, they must love one another, especially the poor; and He told them if they would do all this, the good Spirit would be very pleased, and would take care of them; but if they would not do so, then He would be very angry and punish them. Now, a good many people believed what the Son of the good Spirit said, and did as he told them; and when they died they all went to the good Spirit. But the evil spirit persuaded a great many more not to believe Him; and they didn't, but killed Him; but He 'jumped up' again and went back to his Father, the good Spirit, and the people that killed Him, when they died, all went to the bad spirit to be punished. Now, the bad spirit is always telling people to do bad things, to vex the good Spirit, and get the people himself. They are very foolish, and do what the evil spirit tells them, and therefore get sent to his place of fire, and are very wretched. And I must tell you, my friends, both the Good and evil spirit still live, and are always walking about. They are both here just now, and were here last night; the good Spirit told you not to steal the white man's food, and you were good and did not steal it; but the evil spirit told Dugingi and his friends to go and steal it, and they did, and died.

"Now, my friends, which of these would you like for your master? The good Spirit? then do as he tells you. Love him and give up killing one another, and stealing, and telling lies, and hating the white man. I will stop with you, and teach you how to love the good Spirit; so that when you die you will go to the good Spirit in the sky. But if you will not love the good Spirit, and will not do as He tells you, then you will be the friends of the evil spirit, and be burnt up with him in his fire. The evil spirit is a very bad spirit, and will tell you all sorts of things to make you not to love the good Spirit. He will tell you it is of no use; that the good Spirit does not care for you, and will not trouble about you, and that he only cares for the white man; but do not believe him, for he wants to get you for himself. You try to live as the good Spirit tells you, and you will not only enjoy the happiness with the good Spirit when you die, but you will be happy while you live here; and now, my friends, I will pray to the good Spirit for you."