Page:The Native Tribes of South Australia (1879).djvu/327

 FIGHTS. 245 each opponent’s life would seem to satisfy, will to-morrow be the best friends in the world. The regular premeditated battles of the natives are always known, for weeks or months before to both parties; a convenient place is fixed upon by one party, and messengers are despatched to invite the enemy; these battles are generally caused by abduction, murder, or aggression with intent to take life, which usually originates in the before-mentioned superstitious belief of the aggressor, that the man whom he attacks has, by supernatural means, killed his relative that may lately have died. In such a case he selects several from among his friends, and rambles over the country fully determined to kill the suspected person wherever he meets him. Last summer two battles took place, one for murder committed, and the other for murder attempted. At the former both the murderer and the brother of the murdered were present, backed on either side by a great number of friends; it was agreed that the latter should aim two spears at the murderer, and that if neither took effect nor were returned the quarrel should be dropped. From the demonstrations and violent gestures of the warriors, such as jumping, running, biting of beards and spears, shouting, and grunting, I fully anticipated a general and bloody battle, but this was not the case. From each side the parties concerned ran forward, the one throwing a spear which was dexterously warded off by the other, and with that the fight ended. The other battle, for murder attempted, occurred in the town of Port Lincoln, to which the aggrieved party had been invited by messengers. On their arrival they marched up in a line two or three deep, each of them ornamented with white paint, and shavings resembling plumes in their hair, halting now and then and giving a simultaneous shout. As soon as their evolutions were over, the other party prepared to return the salute, painting themselves hastily, and drawing up in single file. They marched to where the enemy had encamped, keeping step and walking at a quick but short pace, in fact, a sort of trot; going round the camp they drew up in a solid body, and holding their heads downwards