The Aborigines of Australia

by R.N. Richard Sadleir

The tabooing of several kinds of food to the women and young men may arise from the want which has in some instances pressed so upon them that they have resorted to bleeding themselves to preserve life, and indulged in cannibalism to some extent for the same purpose.

The names of deceased persons are not mentioned during mourning, nor the names of the mother by a man seeking marriage of the daughter, nor can he look at his intended mother-in-law.

Sir Thomas Mitchell seems to think that many of their customs were of Eastern origin. Their manner of fishing is described by him, the young men diving down, and spearing the fish under water. This I have witnessed myself. Sir Thomas also describes their villages. The huts are substantial, holding fifteen persons, and having large tombs for burial-places.

They lived much on fish, and took them and birds, especially ducks and geese, with nets.

The enormous powers of the aboriginals in eating is described by Mr. Eyre, in his exploration towards King’s Island Sound.

His native boy Wylie managed to kill a kangaroo. He commenced his repast by eating a pound and a half of horse-flesh and a little bread, they having had to slaughter a horse; to this repast, he added the entrails, paunch, liver, lights, and two hind legs of the kangaroo; to this he added the hide of the kangaroo, having singed off the hair; and having found a dead penguin on the shore, he wound up by eating it all, including the tough skin of the bird. Admitting that his belly was full, he made a little fire and laid down to sleep, this apparently being the happiest moment of his life. On an average this boy could consume 9 lbs. of meat per day—rather a dangerous companion on short allowance; but these people can fast as long, in proportion, as they can gormandize.

Funeral customs differ in tribes. The Narrinyeri tribes point out several stars, and say they are deceased warriors who have gone up to heaven. These are Wyungare and Nepelle, the Manchingga, and several others; and every native expects to go to Wyirrewarre after death, so that there can be no doubt of their belief in a future state. They also believe the dead descend to and walk the earth, and that wicked men will injure them. They are very much afraid of ghosts, and seldom venture in the scrub in the dark, yet they travel long distances to surprise an enemy. The name of the deceased must not be mentioned until the body has decayed, lest they should be considered wanting in feelings of respect. When a man dies they conclude that sorcery has been exercised, so the nearest relative lies with his head on the corpse so that he may dream of the sorcerer. Next day the body is raised on men’s shoulders on a bier, and several names are called out as suspected persons until the impulse of the dead body, which the bearers pretend they cannot resist, confirms the name of the sorcerer.

In some of the tribes the body is placed over a slow fire until the outer skin is blistered, when it is rubbed over with grease and red ochre and placed within the wurley in an upright position. Then great lamentations are made, while they besmear themselves with charcoal and oil, and the women with disgusting filth, and they all beat and cut themselves. The corpse is then subjected to a further slow fire, to dry the humors, while the relatives eat, drink, and sleep under it; and there is great weeping, especially among the women. But the deceased’s spirit must be appeased by the death of the sorcerer. Messengers pass through the tribes to find the suspected person; this often leads to battles, should the tribes be at variance, but otherwise a few spears are thrown and some abuse passed; the old men then pronounce that satisfaction has been made, and the ceremony ceases. The hair of the dead is spun into a cord and made into a head-band; they say that thus they smell the dead. The whole body is skinned with the nails attached, and with this they cover the sick.

In the Polynesian tribes there is a somewhat similar ceremony. In these islands the body is dried and preserved in a sitting position for months, and an offering of food, fruit, and flowers, is daily placed before the dead body, the priest attending to the ceremonies continually. The skeleton is finally burnt within the temple of the family and the skull carefully kept.

Death is certainly a terrible visitor, and people of all nations seem to desire to retain the identity, as it were, amongst them. They do not like to consider the separation as final, and the being with whom they have been so familiar as removed from all intercourse. On the death of a husband, the widow is not permitted to look at any of the relatives for some time. Should she meet with any of the relatives, she immediately prostrates herself on the ground and conceals herself in her cloak. In some districts they bury the body in a sitting posture.