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38 son, met them, they were either on the march to meet their ancient opponents, or were returning from a victory; for I do not recollect a single instance in which they ever acknowledged defeat.

It was not till after his bush labours were over that Robinson took charge of Wyba-Luma (as the natives called their village on Flinders Island) with the designation of commandant. He was nominally so from the first, but his long and frequent absences from it required that a resident manager of the place should be there; and this office at one time was filled by a gentleman of the name of Nickolls, who appears to have had the greatest difficulty in repressing the ill feeling of the members of rival tribes who were then on the island, who, according to the good old customs of their fathers before them, were always for fighting it out, and settling their little differences in this way. This gentleman thus wrote to the Colonial Secretary on the 9th June, 1835:—"The greatest drawback to a perfect civilisation is the determined hostility of the Ben Lomond and Big River tribes to each other. The Western natives have attached themselves to one or other of the two tribes, as their inclination led them; thus virtually making the whole body for the purposes of war to consist of only two tribes. It requires great vigilance to prevent them from breaking out into open hostilities: a very little would set them in flame, they are so very jealous of each other. Upon the arrival of those from town who principally belong to the Ben Lomond tribe, at present rather the weakest in number, I much fear a rupture will take place if extreme caution is not used."

But matters went further than this soon afterwards, and the two parties went out to fight, and were only prevented from doing so by the prudence of that gentleman and his family, who reminded them of the expected arrival of the Governor amongst them (which was then looked for), and how it would displease him to hear of their differences, and so on; and my informant told me that just at this moment the topmasts of a vessel were seen on the horizon, which it was thought might be those of the brig having him on board (though they were not so), and they desisted. Their march was described to me as a very regular one, and that they stepped pretty well together, singing or shouting some war chant, and rattling their spears as they went along, striking the ground with great force with the foot every third or fourth step. The look of each was determined and ferocious beyond expression. Mr. Nickolls soon afterwards retired from the island, and Robinson, after the completion of his bush services, took charge of the establishment himself.

Of their mental faculties and aptitude for acquiring know-