Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu/373

VI uninjured, by weapons such as Kunnin being thrown at him.

If it was a case in which the Wait-jurk might be armed with spears, he might throw them, or he might hurl back those of his adversaries, but it was seldom that he had the chance of doing so, if his adversaries were numerous. When disabled, his friends would certainly interfere, or if he had enough of it, he might run to them for security. It not infrequently happened that a Nungi-nungit became a general combat in which men and women on both sides fought furiously. In such fights a woman was not always at a disadvantage against a man armed with a club and shield, for an active woman armed with her digging-stick is a formidable opponent, using her weapon much as a man would do a quarter-staff.

When the Nungi-nungit ended either with the single ordeal of the Wait-jurk or by a general fight, the matter was set at rest and friendly relations were restored. There is a great difference between such legalised fights as the Nungi-nungit and those cases where fights occurred during the prosecution of a blood-feud, without these ceremonies.

The shields used were either the Bamaruk, for turning aside spears, or the Turnmung, which is used in club-fighting.

A good instance of the Nungi-nungit was one in which the man Bunbra, otherwise Jetbolan, was the defendant, and which occurred about the year 1850.

A brother of the Tulaba before mentioned awoke in the night and saw Bunbra standing over him, who said that he had come for some fire. The next day the man fell sick, and told his friends that Bunbra had "caught him," that is, that he had placed some magical spell on him. By and by he died, and his male kindred sent a message to Bunbra desiring him to come to a Nungi-nungit. At the time and place appointed he duly appeared, accompanied by many of his clan, the Tatungalung, and also of the Krauatungalung, who were their friends.