Page:Dawson - Australian aborigines (1900).djvu/93

 challenged the Bung'andætch natives to fight at Coleraine; but, as they never could get them to stand and give battle, they chased them to their own country. According to the account of a native who accompanied his father on such occasions, the fires of the associated tribes at the Wannon falls, 'Tuunda beean,' were like the lights of Melbourne at night. Quarrels between tribes are sometimes settled by single combat between the chiefs, and the result is accepted as final. At other times disputes are decided by combat between equal numbers of warriors, painted with red clay and dressed in war costume; but real fighting seldom takes place, unless the women rouse the anger of the men and urge them to come to blows. Even then it rarely results in a general fight, but comes to single combats between warriors of each side; who step into the arena, taunt one another, exchange blows with the liangle, and wrestle together. The first wound ends the combat. This is often followed by an encounter between the women, who begin by scolding, and rouse each other to fury, tearing each other's hair, and striking one another with their yam-sticks or muurong poles. There is no interference by the men, however severely their wives may punish each other. Both men and women, when quarrelling, pace about, tossing up the dust with their toes, stamping, and making a hissing noise like 'ishew,' or 'eeshwuur.' Every license is allowed to the tongue. They wish each other all kinds of evil in the coarsest and most violent language. The mildest imprecations are such as — 'May your teeth project, and your eyes squint and be closed with small pox;' 'May you lose your hair and be completely bald;' 'May you have a deformed nose;' 'May you break your neck and become a skeleton, for you should have died long ago;' and 'May many assist in putting you to death.' Words failing to produce the desired effect, they will spit in each other's faces. Sometimes a fight takes the form of a tournament or friendly trial of skill in the use of the boomerang and shield. Ten or twelve warriors, painted with white stripes across the cheeks and nose, and armed with shields and boomerangs, are met by an equal number at a distance of about twenty paces. Each individual has a right to throw his boomerang at anyone on the other side, and steps out of the rank into the intervening space to do so. The opposite party take their turn, and so on alternately, until someone is hit, or all are satisfied. Every warrior has a boy to look after his boomerang, which, on striking a shield, flies up and falls at a considerable distance. As the boomerang is thrown with great force, it requires very great dexterity and quick sight to ward off such an