Author: Buckley, William
Title: Reminiscenses of James Buckley who lived for thirty years among the Wallawarro or Watourong tribes at Geelong Port Phillip, communicated by him to George Langhorne, manuscript
Date: [1837]
Accession Number: MS13483
Transcript Number: pp0019-009-0
Thumbnails | Image | Transcript

Information about ordering a copy of this item
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ordering

Information about permission to use this item
http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/permission

Start new search
View record for this item
Information about ordering a copy of this item
Information about permission to use this item

< Previous 1 … 9 … 12 Next >

of a Tribe with whom I spent the greatest part of my time was
called the Wattiwarre - in their wars I observed one circumstance
worthy of notice - should they happen to lose their spears
they make afterwards but faint efforts and appear to give
all up for lost - It is true they are cannibals - I have seen
them eat small portions of the flesh of their adversaries
slain in Battle - they appeared to do this not from any particular
partiality for human flesh - but from the impression that
that by eating their enemies they would themselves become more
able warriors - many of them are disgusted with this ceremony
and refusing to eat, merely rub their bodies with a small portion
of fat as a charm equally efficient - they eat also of the
flesh of their own children to whom they have been much
attached should they die a natural death - when a child
dies they place the body in an upright position in a hollow
tree and allow it to remain there until perfectly dry
when they will carry it about with them - on the subject
of Religion as I said before I never conversed with them
I do not believe that they possess any distinct notion
of a Supreme Being - or of the Soul or Spirit - I have heard
them warn their children not to frequent the neighbourhood
of a grave otherwise I have not observed that they
have any superstitious dread of particular places. There
are however two imaginary Beings whom they treat with
a certain degree of respect. One of these is supposed to reside
in a certain marsh and to be the author of all the
songs which he makes known to them through his sons
The other is supposed to have charge of the Pole or Piller
by which the sky is propped - Just before the Europeans
came to Port Phillip this personage was the subject of
general conversation it was reported among them that