from the car, were taken to the house by a peasant child before our return thither.

Lying, as Raghery does, on the great road, as it were, for ships passing from Norway, Denmark, Scotland, and North America, as well as Coleraine and Derry, and exposed to frequent and most violent tempests, shipwrecks are unhappily of by no means rare occurrence. But notwithstanding the temptation thus sometimes thrown in the way of the inhabitants, instances are not known of their making prey of the shipwrecked mariner or his cargo. Both he and his merchandise are respected by the inhabitants in general. The master is immediately apprized of any article of value being cast on the coast; and the rites of hospitality are generously and unsparingly administered from the proprietor's own stores. Some heart-rending scenes, arising out of disasters of this kind, have been now and again witnessed: and the wrecking of vessels within the sight of our friends has caused in them an involuntary shudder, when conversation has led to a mention of the circumstances. On the other hand, such occurrences have given occasion to them to feel the "luxury of doing good:" instances might be recited, where the entire crews of vessels have been saved, housed, and maintained for several days, till the winds and waves allowed of their transport to the mainland; and the offices and barns of the proprietor of the island have been the storehouses of shipwrecked merchandise, till an opportunity could be found for its safe removal.

Before quitting these cursory notices of the people of Raghery, another of their fanciful opinions, which they hold in common with other islanders, may be mentioned, as still prevailing there. A mermaid, I understand, has been seen near or on the island not many years ago. But whether she presented the poetical attribute of

fair Ligea's golden comb, Wherewith she sits on diamond rocks, Sleeking her soft alluring locks,

or appeared in the less graceful form of an ordinary seal, my informant did not particularize.

The existence of fairies is another article of belief with these remote islanders, their places of abode being supposed to be the mounds or forts, already noticed as remnants of the Danish incursions. If any of the stones belonging to these remains are moved, it is supposed that the offence thus committed against the "good people," as these imaginary beings are denominated, with a suppressed voice indicating the fear of the speaker, will be visited by sickness on the offender or his family; and should his cow or his pig suffer any ailment within even a considerable period after such delinquency, the visitation is attributed to the malignant influence of the same irritable and invisible people. This superstition they inherit from their forefathers, in common with their neighbours in the Highlands of Scotland, as described in the following extract from Collins's beautiful ode: where, if the practice noticed in the former part of the extract does not prevail in Raghery, concerning which I have no recollection, the reader will not fail to notice in the latter part, the belief in the mischievous propensities of the "good people," just ascribed to the islanders.

There must thou wake perforce thy Doric quill;
'Tis Fancy's land to which thou sett'st thy feet,
Where still, 'tis said, the fairy people meet
Beneath each birken shade, on mead, or hill.
There each trim lass, that skims the milky store
To the swart tribes their creamy bowls allots;
By night they sip it round the cottage door,
While airy minstrels warble jocund notes.
There every herd by sad experience knows,

How, wing'd with fate, their elf-shot arrows fty,
When the sick ewe her summer food foregoes,

Or, stretch'd on earth, the heart-smit heifers lie.
Such airy beings awe the untutor'd swain.-

The "elf-bolts" here specified, which are smooth, flat, sharp stones, probably used of old for military weapons, are sometimes found in Raghery, as well as on the Irish mainland; and the finding of one is regarded as an ill omen, foreboding injury to the finder.

VISIT TO THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND.

THE following day, in consequence of the continuance of the storm, no boat could leave Raghery. But it did not hinder us from visiting the eastern side of the island; so with our car and walking parties as before, we set off, in a boisterous gale of wind, crossing the hill, and by the side of

the same lovely inland lake, which we had seen on our first hasty visit to Raghery. Encompassed as the water was by high ground from all sides, it was peaceful and calm, and the martins flitted with airy whirls as they gaily seemed to dip their wings in the lake, and sported on its surface, or buried themselves in the high red sand-banks already mentioned. On our road this day we saw a considerable extent of marshy ground, covered with the beautiful white waterlily in uncommon profusion; there were literally several acres covered with it, interspersed with the yellow waterlily, the yellow flag Iris, and the three-leaved Bogbean, as well as innumerable smaller plants usually found in marshy ground; but the first-mentioned plant abounded so uncommonly, that it appeared like one vast bed cultivated for its especial use, and the others only as accidental weeds which had sprung up by the carelessness or absence of the planter. The sweet gale perfumed the air from its shrubby plants, which were interspersed on the more solid sides of the marsh whereon this vast field of water-lilies grew. On our way to the Doon Point, which lies to the northeast of Ushet, and where the bending pillars form one of the most curious basaltic promontories, standing out, and looking towards the Mull of Cantire and the Ayrshire hills, at about sixteen miles' distance, we had to cross a very steep and rugged hill, which appeared to be of basalt in a strange state of decomposition. Lying scattered about were pieces of zeolite and basalt, from the size of a pea, or a child's marble, to those of considerable dimensions, particularly towards the sides of the sheep-path over which our road lay, and at the bottom of this very steep and eggshaped hill. The earth on which they lay was in some parts quite black, in others (particularly near the middle of the hill), it was of a dark ochrey red. Many of the stones, also, were black or red, speckled with minute particles of a dull white, all in a crumbling state. I remember to have seen a similar appearance on the broken fragments of stone under the Matlock High Tor; but the soil on which

they were scattered I do not remember to have remarked as

appearing of so heavy and dark a nature.

tremely curious, containing at once the perpendicular, horiHamilton says, "The little Point of Doon is, indeed, exzontal, and bending pillars. Its base resembles a mole, composed of erect columns, like those of the Giants' Causeway. Above these, others appear, in a bending form, as if they had slid over in a state of softness, sufficient for their accommodating themselves to the course of their descent, and thus had assumed the figure of various curves, in consequence of the action of gravity. Over all, groups of pillars are disposed in different horizontal positions with that amusing variety which one often observes in the crystallization of saline substances, exhibiting, at a single view, almost every variety that is to be found in the disposition and arrangement of the columnar basalts."

But about a mile to the north of it, is a small bay, or port, To this description of Doon Point no addition is required. called Port Ree Donaghy, or “King Duncan's Port," from a tradition that a king of Scotland, of that name, had landed there; at the northern end of which is a point called Roo-na-scariff, or the "the Scarf's Point," from the number of Scarfs or Cormorants which frequent it. In this bay is a basaltic mass, in the lower range of which, near the centre of the promontory, where, as at Doon, the bending pillars take their most varied positions, is seen a very remarkable stone, not noticed, so far as I have found, by any writer, but in a peculiar situation, so that it may be aptly-enough-called "the key-stone;" not so much from its being supposed to act upon the mass in such a manner, but from its great resemblance, in appearance, to the keystone of an arch. It is wedge-shaped; and, radiating froin it, the bending pillars take their course to the right and the left; the upright pillars forming, what Hamilton, in speaking above, of Doon, calls "the base of the mole."

This singular construction was pointed out to our notice by Mr. G.; and, by his kindness, a representation of it, sketched by one of his family, accompanies this description.

Not far from Doon Point, we visited a cave of moderate dimensions, from whence we had a good view of the bending pillars above described. Outside this cave, the rocky walls were clothed, in the interstices, with a remarkably pretty cowrattle; not the coarse-looking plant so common in corn-fields, but with petals of the same dazzling whiteness, and the stamens of a dark purple hue.

On our onward road we saw a curious building, not unlike a lime-kiln in shape and manner of construction. Its use was of so singular a kind that it may not be without

interest to explain it. The natives call it by an Irish name Tigh Fallish, meaning, in plain English, "a sweating house." When a poor person has been attacked with a severe fit of rheumatism, a complaint to which the islanders are much subject, or other disorders, for which perspiration is recommended, he repairs to this building, where, having kindled a fire, and thoroughly heated it, when safe from the first intense heat, the patient goes into the house, and gets some of his neighbours to close up the entrance, as well as the aperture above, with sods of turf, so as to admit but just air enough to breathe in safety. There, having taken off his clothes, he remains for a given space, or till he finds his pores thoroughly opened and copiously discharging. As the building, from its exposed situation, cools in a few hours, of course the patient cools gradually with it, and, perhaps, in twelve or twenty-four hours, he comes out restored to the use of his limbs. I fear, however, sudden exposure to cold, notwithstanding the charms and incantations which not unfrequently accompany this recipe, sometimes exposes the poor creature to fourfold disease, if not ultimately to death. Not far from the building just described, we visited a high rocky eminence, worthy of attention for commanding the finest front view of the magnificent promontory of BENMORE, or FAIR-HEAD, on the opposite coast. Fragments of various kinds of rock lay scattered on the strand near which we stood.

Man had done little to make the strand available for a landing-place, except piling the huge masses of rude materials as a sort of breakwater, which consisted of broken heaps of basalt, as well as granite and other ponderous stones. On the hill itself, the perfectly-formed basaltic pillars peeped out on both sides of the promontory; from that which faces the sea, in the same bold and chiselled-looking forms as those on the Giant's Causeway on the opposite coast of Antrim; while on the side turned from the sea, wherever the slight covering of verdure had been removed from the face of the hill, the pillars appeared quite as perfectly shaped with the same arrangements of parts as those on the mainland above mentioned. The same varied formation of the pillars is found also from the three-sided to the eight-sided; but the six-sided prevailed here as on the causeway. All, however, of the basaltic pillars, are on a much smaller scale, generally measuring from 9 to 12 inches in diameter, and many much less. At another part of the island, namely, near Port Ree Donaghy, before mentioned, appeared another remarkable conformation of the basalt; where several detached masses of upright stones presented an appearance not unlike collections of billet

wood piled up in an English forest or copse. From one of these heaps some of our party extracted a long centre-stone, which had baffled the attempts of former visiters. It seemed loosely fixed in amongst the others, but was not drawn out without much difficulty. Its dimensions were much inferior to the basaltic stones in general, and even to those alluded to above. Two of the sides of the area of this stone, which is an irregular pentagon, measure 34 inches each; the third side, 3 inches; and the other two, which almost merge into one by the imperfectness of the angle, are nearly 2 inches each. The length of the joint, or fragment extracted, varies at the different angles from 5 to 6 inches.

The stone, like basaltic stones in general, contains crystallizations of zeolite, together with small cavities capable of admitting a large-sized pea. Another stone, of which I became possessed, is an irregular hexagon, more perfectly formed than the preceding. The sides of the area are respectively 31, 3, 28, 2, 2, and again 2 inches. The length of this fragment varies from about 2 to 3 inches at the several angles. These variations in size as well as in situation are curious subjects of observation and speculation; and they contribute to render the Isle of Raghery one of the most entertaining and interesting objects for the traveller's attention

The morning following [the day of our excursion to the eastern side of the island, we quitted it again for Ballycastle, under the guidance, as before, of our friendly host. Our visit had presented us many new scenes of natural curiosity and peculiar manners, together with a picture of domestic happiness and cordial hospitality; and I shall be glad if my readers derive from the foregoing narrative a portion of the pleasure which I enjoyed during my short sojourn in the island, as well as my companion, who has combined some of the principal objects of our excursion in the fol lowing lines:

Isle of the northern sea, which like the moon

Bend'st crescent-shaped, 'mid Erin's floods, before
The face, abrupt and high, of gray BENMORE;
RACHLIN, I reckon it no trivial boon
To have scal'd thy pathless turf yon autumn noon,
And heard conflicting with the ocean's roar
The sea-birds' cries, thick clustering on thy shore,
KENRAMER'S cliffs, or pillar'd crags of Doox.
Nor boon less welcome is it, nor less sweet,

To have seen, how knit with social charity,
In thy lone nook domestick virtues meet,
And hospitable zeal. And therefore thee,
With kindly verse commemorative, I greet
And bid farewell, sequester'd RAGHERY!

Magazine.

No 252.

Saturday

FERATU

TURE

JUNE

EDUCA

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE NATIVES-THEIR WEAPONS PECULIARITIES OF THE WOMENTHEIR HABITATIONS-WAR COUNCILS-POWER OF THE CHIEF.

THEIR weapons are few and simple, consisting of the spear, the wummerah, the tomahawk, the waddie, the boomerang, the heliman, and some carry also a sort of wooden hatchet. Their spears are generally from ten to twelve feet in length, frequently longer; some consist of one, others of two, and the longest of three distinct pieces, which are chiefly made of the ironbark wood. In the longest, the centre-bits are made of the grass-tree, which grows like a tall straight reed, and seems very well suited for the purpose of a spear. Some spears are hooked and jagged, and since the natives have become acquainted with glass, they have taken advantage of that material, by cementing the broken sharp splints of it, which are made to jut out from the top of the spear like the points of lancets, as a substitute for their common way of jagging. They have also a peculiar spear for fishing, which is divided at the point into four prongs, jagged on the inside, so as to retain the fish.

The wummerah is the instrument by which the spear is thrown. It is about three feet in length, having a hook at the point, and flat at the handle, which is about two or three inches wide. It is also used as a paddle when they fish in their canoes. When the VOL. VIII.

spear is thrown, the black fixes the hook of the wummerah into a notch at the end of the spear, and, holding both in his right hand, about two feet from the hook, manages to bend the lower part of the spear between the hand and the hook, so that the spear leaves with a spring which gives it an additional force. But the Van Diemen's Land black threw the spear by itself, without the aid of this instrument.

The tomahawk formerly used by them, before iron was introduced, was made of sharpened stone or flint, very heavy and unwieldy, and fastened to a clumsy handle. But there is now scarcely a black to be seen who is not possessed of the common English tomahawk, with iron blade. The waddie, or club, is about two feet and a half in length, very heavy, but not large, some having a knob at the top. It is used only in fighting in close combat.

The boomerang is made of different kinds of wood, sometimes of the iron-bark, and sometimes of the stringy-bark tree. It is flat, and curved like the blade of a scimitar, of about two feet and a half in length, and two inches wide. It is used in two different ways, as an instrument of amusement, and as a weapon to maim an animal. In the latter case, it is thrown along the ground, and made to spin like a wheel with such surprising velocity, that even the kangaroo in full speed is often brought to the ground by a blow from one of them. But when this instru252

ment is thrown in the air by way of amusement, it excites our curiosity to a great degree. The natives throw it from them, whirling horizontally to a distance of nearly a hundred yards; it then turns back towards them, rising to a great height, making a rushing noise immediately over their heads, going nearly the same distance in the opposite direction,-then turning again, it performs similar gyrations or circles in the air, less and less each time, until it drops within a few yards of their feet. It is wonderful and really astonishing to see several of these boomerangs thrown into the air at once, to observe them all rising, whizzing, circling, and crossing each other in all directions, and then drop at the feet of their respective throwers.

The heliman, or shield, is a piece of wood about two feet and a half in length, and about four inches thick in the middle; both ends taper off to a point, and its sides are sloped in a diamond shape, having a hole in the centre large enough to admit the hand. With this instrument they ward off, with great dexterity, spears that are thrown at them when standing punishment or engaged in fighting. They are often ornamented with red and white stripes, which is not the case with their other weapons. Their hatchet is about a foot and a half in length, broad at the top, slightly curved, and sharpened at the edge. This is also used in fighting at close combat.

The black women (commonly called gins) also wear a cloak made of the opossum-skins, and carry one or two nets which they make themselves. These nets generally contain all their little necessaries, and when they are burdened with the care of an infant child, the little fellow is seated in one of these nets, and carried behind the mother's shoulders, with his little curly head peeping out, and seemingly quite contented.

The hair of the women either does not naturally, or is not allowed to grow so long as that of the men, but it is shorter and very curly. Some of them ornament it with the teeth of the kangaroo, which, being cemented by a kind of black wax to their locks, dangle all round their heads,-and as this is not common to all, it may be a privilege only to the wife or relatives of a chief. Their features, though altogether similar, of course are smaller than those of the men. They are not disfigured by scars or stripes like the men, though some have one or two stripes upon their arms, and this may be done to denote the number of children which they may bear, as the unmarried females do not appear to be marked at all. Though the cartilages of their noses are sometimes perforated like those of the men, yet their teeth are allowed to remain whole.

The black women of the sea-coast south of Sydney are remarkable for having the first joint of the little finger of the left hand taken off; and this is done in infancy, by tying a piece of gut tight round the joint, until the nail-part comes off, and the wound heals progressively, without any apparent suffering on the part of the child.

The only instrument which they carry is a stick about five feet in length, burnt and hardened at one end; with this they dig out sweet potatoes, roots, and a sort of ground-nut, which they collect, put in their nets, and share at night with their husbands or other relatives, in whose gunya they might sleep. This appears to be their principal occupation in the field, while the men are employed in hunting.

The climate of New South Wales being generally so fine and healthy, very little trouble is taken in constructing their gunyas, which can scarcely be called habitations, being merely a shelter from the

wind and weather, and these are made larger or smaller according to the number which they are intended to contain. Three forked poles, so placed as to support one another, in the shape of a triangle, with leafy boughs, and sometimes a sheet or wo of bark to lean against them on the windward side, form their resting-place and shelter for the night. But, in rainy seasons (which, happily for them, are seldom of long continuance, although sometimes the country is visited by storms of great violence), and in the winter months, during which the cold is not very severe, they make their gunyas entirely of bark; and as the tribes seldom remain for a long time in one encampment, but are constantly roaming from one part to another of their territories, it is fortunate that the trees which afford them a great portion of their food, should also supply them with the immediate means of shelter.

The process by which the bark is stripped from the tree is very simple. It is first cut all round the tree into the timber, with the tomahawk, about a foot or so from the ground, and, a similar ring being cut about sixteen or eighteen feet above, the bark is then split down in a straight line from one ring to the other; and after it has been beaten sufficiently with the blunt part of the tomahawk, the whole of the bark between the circular cuts will shell off without further trouble.

The sheet thus stripped off is placed over a strong fire, in order that the heat may cause it to expand and flatten; it is then bent double, and fixed on the ground, something in the form of a dog-house, and with the addition of a small sheet at the back their winter gunya is formed.

They contrive to keep a small fire burning before each gunya all night, by placing a number of sticks round in a circle, keeping the lighted ends of them in the centre, which, as they burn and become shorter, are by degrees pushed in towards each other. When they remove from one place to another, and have not far to go, they generally carry a fire-stick with them; but if they are about to encamp at a considerable distance, they manage to procure a fire by the friction of a pointed stick upon the inside of the dry grasstree. To effect this, the grass-tree is split into two pieces, and, the stick being applied to one of the divided parts, it is rubbed quickly between the palms of the hands,- —a hole is soon made,-and as soon as the smoke is observed, powdered charcoal is dropped in, which immediately ignites, and the desired flame is obtained*.

Each tribe has a chief; but whether he possesses his authority from hereditary right, or is chosen, as being the most active and strong, the most valorous or warlike, or from any particular achievement, is not known. It may be observed, however, that they are in general the finest men; and though they are not distinguished from the rest in outward appearance or clothing, they alone have the privilege of having two wives.

It is evident there are certain laws and regulations by which a tribe is governed, but, among a race whose manners are so simple, whose wants are so few, and those easily supplied, and whose territories are so boundless and extensive, we cannot but imagine their laws to be also very simple and limited. Every tribe possesses its own peculiar territory, and they appear to be very jealous of any invasion of their boundaries, which is often the cause of warfare between one tribe and another.

The chief exercises his authority in various ways: he has the power to disperse the tribe. to order their * See Saturday Magasine, Vol. VIII., p. 184.

movements, and appoint the time when, and place where, they are all to assemble again. Sometimes the men hold a council of war, for I have seen the oldest of them, to the number of thirty, sitting round in a circle (apart from the women and youths), talking apparently very seriously, as if they had heard a report of the approach of a hostile tribe, or some other cause of fear; and, after an hour's deliberation, the whole tribe has separated in parties of six or four, but the chief remaining with the women. These parties appear to act as piquets on the look out, and are so distributed throughout the territory, that each has its own particular district for observing, and at the same time can easily communicate with one another. In this manner they remain away for several days, nor do I think that they assemble again until the regular time appointed by the chief.

It is observed, that all countries, in proportion as they are civilized or barbarous, improve or degrade the marriage ceremony; and the most despicable part of the character of the Australian savage, is his courtship and final method of securing to himself a wife. It appears that one tribe intermarries with those of another; and the young black when arrived at the age of maturity, and the customary honours attending his growing years have been duly performed upon him, seeks out from amongst another tribe, the victim of his love. Bent on his purpose, he follows secretly the tribe to which the object of his choice belongs, from one place to another, for several days, taking care not to be observed, until the desired opportunity offers for seizing his prey; he then pounces upon the maid, and, with an unerring blow from his waddie, she lies stunned at his feet, while the female companions of her tribe fly away shrieking in all directions, the men being all absent in their occupation of hunting.

The poor creature is dragged insensible from the spot, and brought victorious to the tribe to which the man belongs; and being thus introduced to a new tribe, with all of whom she is a perfect stranger, she is allowed to fret and pine until she becomes reconciled to her husband and his tribe. I have never heard, nor seen, that the women are treated ill by the men after this brutal ceremony, nor that the more laborious duties of life are thrown upon them, except what I have mentioned of their gathering the various ground-fruits.

But this affair becomes, I believe, in all cases, the cause of hostilities between the two tribes; and the man, who has injured and insulted the other tribe by thus forcibly taking possession of the woman, at an appointed meeting of the two tribes, is obliged to stand his punishment for the outrage, and this is a singular and not the least interesting of their cere

monies.

The annexed drawing represents a tribe of blacks, and one of them in the act of undergoing his punishment for the offence. It is a sort of tournament on foot, where the hero has to come forward, and prove himself worthy of his bride, by his fortitude, activity, and skill; and though it seldom terminates by the death of the offender, his skill in the defence, and courage in combat are put well to the test. It is altogether a very spirited scene, both strangely serious, amusing, and ridiculous. A certain number of the men only of both tribes meet together at some suitable spot for the occasion, their faces and bodies are painted red to look warlike, terrible, and fierce; and when the hostile parties approach near each other, the purport of their meeting is immediately acknowledged by a general shouting, which is succeeded by a confused jabbering, and clatter of angry tongues;

tney then commence throwing their boomerangs in the air, and place themselves in a variety of postures, as if endeavouring to outrival each other in mutual expressions of defiance.

After some time, they group together, and appear to be arranging the order of the ceremony. Some examine their spears, fix them to the wummerah, then balance and poise them, as if about to throw ;others sham fighting with their waddies, to show their dexterity and gymnastic powers, until the signal is given from the chief for the ceremony to commence ; when those who are not to take a part in the affair fall back in different groups on either side. The hero of the day, carrying only the heliman, then makes his appearance, and comes forward in a bold and determined manner, confident in his skill, and willing to give the desired satisfaction for the offence. Two or three from the hostile tribe then come forward in the open space between the tribes, armed with a dozen or more spears, the wummerah and waddie. These take their stand about twenty-five yards from the object of attack. A general silence ensues, and the attention of all is directed to the combatants. As soon as the assailant is observed to adjust his spear, the offender places himself in a posture of defence; one spear after another is thrown at him with extreme precision and vengeance, but they are all warded off by the heliman, with equal skill, great coolness, and intrepidity. The anxiety on the part of the spectators as the spears are thrown, is very observable,—a sort of guttural exclamation and whispering is heard after each has been parried, and when the proper number has been completed, and the black has escaped unhurt, another general yell is set up, and a similar confusion to that which preceded the trial takes place.

The offender has next to oppose himself to the man selected to fight him with the waddie. But this part of the affair is a brutal exhibition, as it is not so much a trial of skill in defence, as a trial of who can endure the heaviest blows upon the cobbera, or head. The combatants exchange several blows alternately, which are given with considerable action and revengeful earnestness; and though it sometimes happens that one of the two becomes stunned and senseless, their escape can only be attributed to the wonderful thickness of their skulls, defended as they are in a great measure by their long matted hair. The offender, I believe, is not allowed to yield, or cry "hold, enough!" and, consequently, as soon as he has satisfied his opponent by his strength and bravery, the ceremony ceases; he is declared victorious, and received amidst the wild applause of both tribes. The two tribes afterwards encamp together for a day or so, and at night they perform their corrobary, or dance, for amusement, and to celebrate the cessation of hostilities.