Chapter II.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE—­DRESS—­CHARACTER—­HABITS OF LIFE—­MEETINGS OF TRIBES—­WARS—­DANCES—­SONGS.

The Aborigines of Australia, with whom Europeans have come in contact, present a striking similarity to each other in physical appearance and structure; and also in their general character, habits, and pursuits.  Any difference that is found to exist is only the consequence of local circumstances or influences, and such as might naturally be expected to be met with among a people spread over such an immense extent of country.  Compared with other aboriginal races, scattered over the face of the globe, the New Hollander appears to stand alone.

The male is well built and muscular, averaging from five to six feet in height, with proportionate upper and lower extremities.  The anterior lobes of the brain are fairly developed, so as to give a facial angle, far from being one of the most acute to be found amongst the black races.  The eyes are sunk, the nose is flattened, and the mouth wide.  The lips are rather thick, and the teeth generally very perfect and beautiful, though the dental arrangement is sometimes singular, as no difference exists in many between the incisor and canine teeth.  The neck is short, and sometimes thick, and the heel resembles that of Europeans.  The ankles and wrists are frequently small, as are also the hands and feet.  The latter are well formed and expanded, but the calves of the legs are generally deficient.  Some of the natives in the upper districts of the Murray, are, however, well formed in this respect.  In a few instances, natives attain to a considerable corpulency.  The men have fine broad and deep chests, indicating great bodily strength, and are remarkably erect and upright in their carriage, with much natural grace and dignity of demeanour.  The eye is generally large, black, and expressive, with the eye-lashes long.

When met with for the first time in his native wilds there is frequently a fearless intrepidity of manner, an ingenuous openness of look, and a propriety of behaviour about the aboriginal inhabitant of Australia, which makes his appearance peculiarly prepossessing.

In the female the average height is about five feet, or perhaps a little under.  The anterior part of the brain is more limited than in the male; the apex of the head is carried further back; the facial angle is more acute; and the extremities are more attenuated.  The latter circumstance may probably be accounted for from the fact, that the females have to endure, from a very early age, a great degree of hardship, privation, and ill-treatment.  Like most other savages the Australian looks upon his wife as a slave.  To her belongs the duty of collecting and preparing the daily food, of making the camp or hut for the night, of gathering and bringing in firewood, and of procuring water.  She must also attend to the children; and in travelling carry all the moveable