Page:The Native Tribes of South Australia (1879).djvu/40

 xxx INTRODUCTION. these cases vengeance is invariably taken on the offending tribe. A curious instance of sorcery and its effects upon the native imagination was brought to light recently in the Supreme Court of Adelaide, on the trial of a black for the murder of another named Chunkey. This Chunkey was one, who, contrary to the custom of his race, had accumulated some money, and had become the proprietor of a dray and some bullocks with which he followed the calling of a carrier. This effect of civilisation had not, however, weaned him from the influence of the common savage customs; for he had at different times carried off three women as wives from another tribe. A man belonging to the Bimbowrie tribe endeavoured to rescue the women; but, in doing so, was put under enchantment by Chunkey, who pointed a human hone at him. This bone is generally part of the femur, scraped to a point, smeared with red-ochre and human kidney-fat, and having a ball of fat and ochre rolled together at one end, The natives believe that if this is pointed at any member of a tribe, nothing on earth can save the victim from death. They are so convinced of this, that immediately it is done his spirits droop, he becomes melancholy, his appetite fails, and gradually he pines away and dies. Such an act of witchcraft is never forgiven. Chunkey was pursued for nearly two years, and was eventually overtaken and killed by the friends of the enchanted victim. The murder was discovered in consequence of the murderers being found in possession of the dead man’s property and his wives. The murderers were sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to one of imprisonment. It was proved on the trial that amongst the northern tribes a blackfellow who was known to have pointed the bone at another would be pursued for 500 miles, in order that revenge might be taken upon him for the crime. The ideas of religion possessed by the blacks are very indistinct, besides being ridiculous and contradictory. Dr. Moorhouse found that the Adelaide tribe believed in a spirit distinct from the body, which after death went away to a large pit in the west, where all souls of deceased persons are sent. They further believed that