When a man collapses on the spot, as from a mortal wound, a regular tussle ensues, in an endeavour to secure the body, between his friends and foes. The former run considerable risk while they expose their figures to the bombardment of spears; they are, however, covered by others, who come forth to specially shepherd them; often, too, a confused hand-to-hand skirmish follows, during which one or two more are wounded. Should it so happen that a man now falls on the opposite side, a compromise is effected, which permits either side to carry off their wounded in peace. In fact, if the disabled men happen to be of important position or particular valour, the casualty may lead to a permanent armistice.
The aboriginal of Australia does not bear chronic malice towards an ordinary or casual enemy, but soon finds a plausible excuse to throw a damper on his fighting ardour; very frequently, indeed, a bloodthirsty-looking crowd drown their enmity in a combined and convivial festivity, during which the late enemies jest, dance, and sing together. The past is soon forgotten; his revenge appeased, a native immediately reverts to his daily routine and peaceful life. With him revenge is not necessarily individual; the wrong-doing of one tribesman might have to be suffered for by another, maybe innocent, man of the same blood. This blood-revenge, which of course is practised by even the most civilized nations, is often the cause of the death of an innocent white man, who happens to be travelling through the tribal ground, where recently another white man has maltreated or assaulted the natives.
In districts where the boomerang is used, a number of these weapons is carried in the belts of the belligerents. When the parties are within seeing distance of each other, each side begins to throw its boomerangs, making them fly high in the air towards the enemy and return to their respective owner. The demonstration is repeated time after time, as the contending parties draw near to each other, until at length the boomerangs fly well over the opponents’ heads on either side. This is forsooth an awe-inspiring spectacle and has the desired effect of arousing the fighters’ ire to a very high pitch. At a later stage, boomerangs are employed in actual battle.
In place of the boomerang, the club or the waddy is not infrequently carried as an auxiliary weapon, but its use is restricted to fighting at close quarters.
During the various encounters, as here briefly described, shields are generally carried to parry the missiles directed against the bodies of the combatants. In the case of the light reed-spears, however, the wommera alone is used for such purpose. The fighters’ greatest safety is nevertheless in their wonderful skill at dodging the projectiles. In hand to hand fighting, with club or boomerang, the shield is invariably used to considerable advantage.
Whilst undertaking their reconnoitres, the scouts carry slippers, which they wear when it is necessary to hide the individual tracks of their party. These slippers are generally known as “kurdaitja-shoes”; they consist of a thick pad or sole of emu feathers, knitted together with string and clotted blood, and an “upper” of neatly plaited human hair-string. The wearer of such “kurdaitja-shoes” leaves shallow, oval tracks in the sand, which, if seen by any other natives, occasion much alarm, being immediately recognized as those of an enemy on a treacherous mission; if the enemy is not discovered, the tracks are regarded as those of the “Kurdaitja,” an evil spirit about to molest the tribe.
At the conclusion of a battle, it depends entirely upon the terms, under which arms were laid down, as to who appropriates the bodies of any fallen warriors. If friendly relations are established immediately after cessation of hostilities, a mutual exchange is effected, by means of which the relatives might come in possession of the bodies of any warriors who fell. If, on the other hand, the hatred has not abated after the battle, whatever bodies were captured during the affray belong to that party who were fortunate enough to secure them.
The natives, who have been in the meantime joined by the women, retreat towards their main camp, and carry the corpse or corpses of their fallen upon their shoulders to a place decided upon. There elaborate obsequies are instituted. It is, moreover, the custom to cut portions of the soft parts from a dead warrior’s body, whether he be friend or foe, and to eat them. The belief is that by so doing the brave qualities of the departed soldier will be kept among the tribe and will not all be taken away by the spirit when it migrates to the ancestral hunting grounds. The pieces which are most commonly consumed by the mourners (or victors) are the kidney fat and the marrow of the long bones; the Gulf of Carpentaria tribes eat pieces of the muscle and occasionally of the liver. This is another reason why the Australian aborigines are often referred to as cannibals; but the title is unmerited. The native of Australia does not go head-hunting and does not organize expeditions, whose object is to slay people upon whom they can feast. We are not justified in calling him a cannibal; the most we can say of him is that opportunity might make him an occasional man-eater.