NEARLY QUARREL WITH THEM.

I have alluded to this occurrence, trivial as it may appear, not without an object.  It serves as an illustration of the policy of respecting the known customs of the Australian race, even in apparently trifling matters, at least during the early period of intercourse with a tribe, and shows how a little want of judgment in the director of our party caused the most friendly intentions to be misconstrued, and might have led to fatal results.

OBSERVATIONS ON CAUSE OF OFFENCE.

I must confess that I should have considered any injury sustained on our side to have been most richly merited; moreover, I am convinced that some at least of the collisions which have taken place in Australia, between the first European visitors and the natives of any given district, have originated in causes of offence brought on by the indiscretion of one or more of the party, and revenged on others who were innocent.  As a memorable instance I may give that which happened during Leichhardt’s overland journey to Port Essington, when his camp was attacked one evening, and Mr. Gilbert lost his life.  Long afterwards the undoubted cause of this apparently unaccountable attack transpired in the acknowledgment, while intoxicated, by one of the persons concerned, that a gross outrage had been committed upon an aboriginal woman a day or two previously, by the two blacks belonging to the expedition.

One day I witnessed a native fight, which may be described here, as such occurrences, although frequent enough in Australia, have by Europeans been witnessed only in the settled districts.  It was one of those smaller fights, or usual modes of settling a quarrel when more than two people are concerned, and assumed quite the character of a duel upon a large scale.  At daybreak, I landed in company with six or seven people who were going out on different shooting parties.  The natives came down to the boat as usual, but all carried throwing-sticks—­contrary to their usual practice of late; and at the place where they had slept, numbers of spears were stuck up on end in the sand.  These preparations surprised me, but Paida would not explain the cause and seemed anxious to get me away.  The shooters marched off—­each with his black—­but I loitered behind, walking slowly along the beach.

WITNESS A NATIVE FIGHT.

About 200 yards from the first camping-place, two groups of strange natives, chiefly men, were assembled with throwing-sticks in their hands and bundles of spears.  While passing them they moved along in twos and threes towards the Evans Bay party, the men of which advanced to meet them.  The women and children began to make off, but a few remained as spectators on the sands, it being then low water.  A great deal of violent gesticulation and shouting took place, the parties became more and more excited, and took up their position in two scattered lines facing each other, extending from the margin of the beach to a little way in the bush, and about twenty-five yards apart.  Paida, too, partook of the excitement and could refrain no longer from joining in the fight; he dropped my haversack and bounded away at full speed to his camping-place, where he received his spears from little Purom his son, and quickly made his appearance upon the scene of action.