CHAPTER V.

Nuisances of Adelaide - Dust storm-Dogs-Natives-King Jack -A native entertainment - Physical aspect of the AboriginesTheir moral condition.

It was, doubtless, very pleasing to reflect, that a town containing five thousand inhabitants, with newspapers, clubs, stores, banks, churches, a Mechanics' Institute, a Natural History Association, and a Joint-Stock Company, had been created in three years by the magic power of systematic colonization; and all this in the midst of an untrodden wilderness. It is true that the city was not very compact; that the streets were unpaved, and overshadowed by unsightly gum-trees; that in wet weather you were ankle deep in a most retentive and clayey mud; and that you had sometimes to encounter a dust storm analogous to the brickfielders of Sydney, in which tons of clayey earth, converted by heat into the finest particles, were carried aloft by whirlwinds, or driven with the impetuosity of a white squall over the devoted city, penetrating through the key-holes and the smallest crevices of your houses, and enveloping your furniture with a material which might have been taken for cephalic snuff. One such visitation I remember to have witnessed on a Sunday afternoon, just as the good people of Adelaide

were returning from church. The day had been sultry and close, the thermometer standing somewhere between 80° and 90°. Suddenly, a rushing noise, or, as they call it in Scotland, a sough, was heard among the woods, whose bending tops indicated the weight of the squall. Pillars of dust, whirling upward with great velocity, like waterspouts, rose from the beaten thoroughfares, and presently the air became dark, the sun glared dimly, and at length was wholly concealed from view until the storm passed over. This phenomenon was not of long continuance, but it left fearful traces upon silk, satin, and muslin, and for a while it seemed to threaten the whole population with asphyxia. I was informed, that two or three of these visitations might be expected during the

summer.

The next great nuisance was occasioned by the dogs— a gaunt race, between the greyhound and the mastiff, bred for the chase of the kangaroo, which herded about the town towards nightfall, and rendered it a dangerous undertaking to perambulate without a weapon capable of creating lasting impressions upon the hides of the unsightly brutes. Their howlings conspired with the native corrobories to render hideous those beautiful moonlight nights which are chosen by the aborigines for the performance of their singular mysteries.

A Corrobory was a sight not to be lost. I had previously seen these people assembled by the Cockatoo-man, (so they called his Excellency, from the plume of feathers which he wore in his cocked-hat,) for the purpose of bestowing on them a feast of roast beef, biscuit, tea, and sugar, and of witnessing their dexterity in throwing the spear, the waddy, and other savage performances. On

that occasion, they had either gorged themselves to excess, or were influenced by the presence of the numerous white people who surrounded them. At any rate, they exhibited no very formidable dexterity in the use of the spear, for few of them struck the target at the distance of thirty yards; and the boomerang, used with such singular dexterity by the "black fellows" of New South Wales, is unknown to those of South Australia. It appeared to me, that a hundred Europeans with muskets and ammunition could protect themselves against thousands of New Hollanders; and that a British regiment could conquer the whole continent of Australia, as the legions of Julius Cæsar overcame the scattered and barbarous tribes of ancient Europe.

Having ascertained from King Jack, the chief of the Adelaide tribe-a very intelligent personage, that a grand corrobory was to be held in a day or two, I resolved to witness it. To King Jack I had been introduced a few days previously, as he sat sunning himself at the foot of a gum-tree, surrounded by his four gins (wives), and their numerous offspring. On that occasion he rose, and, as a token of respect to a stranger to whom he was then introduced for the first time, he put on his pantaloons, which till then he wore gracefully over his shoulders, like a shawl. Being a favourite at Government House, he had recently been appointed to the office of constable, to which was afterwards added that of postman between Adelaide and the port. King Jack was therefore a man of some consequence, and, like all those individuals among savage races who hold the distinction of chiefdom, he was possessed of great muscular strength, and a sagacity superior to that of his fellows.

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A NATIVE ENTERTAINMENT.

On the night appointed, I repaired with a few friends to the scene of action-a spot about four miles from Adelaide, upon the banks of the Torrens. The moon had not yet risen, but the firmament was bright with innumerable constellations, and the air had all the softness of an Australian night. As we approached the native bivouac, we perceived their small fires; for these people consume fuel very sparingly, being of opinion that thus hiding their light under a bushel they are less likely to attract the observation of their enemies. The yelping of curs and the laughing of females and children welcomed our arrival, and we had forthwith to shake hands with King Jack and all the principal personages of his court. About a hundred and fifty natives were collected, and their spears, jagged with pieces of glass, reflected the light of the fires, and added to the wildness of the scene. We had not waited long ere it was intimated that the performances of the evening were about to commence.

The chief began with a low and muttered chant, beating time with his waddy upon his shield. He was speedily joined by others, who followed his example, whilst the females, squatting in a circle, beat with the palms of their hands upon kangaroo skins, doubled up into balls. By degrees the whole assemblage collected around; the women seating themselves, and the men adding to the strange chant, which very gradually increased in loudness, although the tones were by no means musical.

At length the men began to arrange themselves in a circle, towards the centre of which they advanced with a succession of leaps, uttering at the same time a peculiar noise, which is an imitation of the kangaroo. In this

A NATIVE ENTERTAINMENT.

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movement their legs were outstretched to the utmost. They then leaped round in the circumference of the circle, and sometimes advanced in the same grotesque manner for a few yards, whilst their shouts became momentarily louder, and derived an additional wildness from the shrill voices and the ceaseless drumming of the women, who constituted the orchestra to this extraordinary ballet. A strange excitement soon became apparent in the gestures and countenances of the dancers. The gradually increasing uproar was accompanied with a fierce brandishing of waddies, as if they menaced some visionary foe; and their voices rose to the pitch of a loud and simultaneous howl, which ever and anon ceased all of a sudden, and was succeeded by the deep silence of the forest. The suddenness with which the outcry was followed by an interval of perfect silence constituted the remarkable feature of the performance.

After a short interval for breathing, the dance recommenced, and was continued in the same manner for two hours, during which the performers underwent the most. violent exercises of their voices and limbs, whilst the perspiration ran down their naked and shining bodies. At length they had worked themselves up to a state of excitement bordering on frenzy, their eyes flashed, and the expression of their countenances became almost diabolical. Having no desire to witness the last of this exhibition, we took our departure. The hour was past twelve, and " a fine moonlight night;" but not until we had reached the town did we cease to hear the loud and prolonged howl, and the drumming orchestra of the corrobory.

The language and many of the usages of the Australian aborigines differ at almost every part of the coast;