An account of the manners and customs of the Aborigines and the state of their relations with Europeans

Table of Contents

Chapter I.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS — UNJUST OPINIONS GENERALLY ENTERTAINED OF THE CHARACTER OF THE NATIVE — DIFFICULTIES AND DISADVANTAGES HE LABOURS UNDER IN HIS RELATIONS WITH EUROPEANS — AGGRESSIONS AND INJURIES ON THE PART OF THE LATTER IN GREAT DEGREE EXTENUATE HIS CRIMES

Chapter II.

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

Chapter III.

FOOD — HOW PROCURED — HOW PREPARED — LIMITATION AS TO AGE, etc.

Chapter IV.

PROPERTY IN LAND — DWELLINGS — WEAPONS — IMPLEMENTS — GOVERNMENT — CUSTOMS — SOCIAL RELATIONS — MARRIAGE — NOMENCLATURE

Chapter V.

CEREMONIES AND SUPERSTITIONS — FORMS OF BURIAL — MOURNING CUSTOMS — RELIGIOUS IDEAS — EMPIRICS, etc.

Chapter VI

NUMBERS — DISEASES — CAUSE OF LIMITED POPULATION — CRIMES AGAINST EUROPEANS — AMONGST THEMSELVES — TREATMENT OF EACH OTHER IN DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD, etc.

Chapter VII.

LANGUAGE, DIALECTS, CUSTOMS, etc. — GENERAL SIMILARITY THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT — CAUSES OF DIFFERENCES — ROUTE BY WHICH THE NATIVES HAVE OVERSPREAD THE COUNTRY, etc.

Chapter VIII.

EFFECTS OF CONTACT WITH EUROPEANS — ATTEMPTS AT IMPROVEMENT AND CIVILIZATION — ACCOUNT OF SCHOOLS — DEFECTS OF THE SYSTEM

Chapter IX.

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEM ADOPTED TOWARDS THE NATIVES

Appendix.

Explanation of the plates of native ornaments, weapons, implements, and works of industry

LIST OF PLATES.

• Tenberry, with Wife and Child, drawn by G. Hamilton
• Plate I.—Native Ornaments
• Kangaroo Dance of King George’s Sound, J. Neill
• Woodcut of a Standard used in the Dances performed by day
• Plate II. Native Weapons
• Plate III. Native Weapons
• Plate IV. Native Implements
• Plate V. Native Works of Industry
• Mode of disposing of the Dead of the Lower Murray
• Murray River at Moorunde
• Plate VI. Miscellaneous Native Articles