Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
As he warms on the subject he ships his spear in the throwing-stick,
quivers it in the air, and imitates rapidly the adventures of the fight
of the coming day: then the recollections of the deeds of his youth rush
through his mind; he changes his measure to a sort of recitative, and
commences an account of some celebrated fray of bygone times; the
children and young men crowd round from the neighbouring huts, the old
gentleman becomes more and more vociferous, first he sticks his spear
point under his arm and lies on his side to imitate a man dying, yet
chanting away furiously all the time, then he grows still more animated,
occasionally adjusting his spear with his throwing-stick and quivering it
with a peculiar grace. The young women now come timidly up to see what is
going on; little flirtations take place in the background, whereat the
very elderly gentlemen with very young wives, whose dignity would be
compromised by appearing to take an interest in passing events, and who
have therefore remained seated in their own huts, wax jealous, and
despatch their mothers and aged wives to look after the younger ladies.
These venerable females have a dread of evil spirits, and consequently
will not move from the fire without carrying a fire-stick in their hands;
the bush is now dotted about with these little moving points of fire, all
making for a common centre, at which are congregated old and young; jest
follows jest, one peal of laughter rings close upon the heels of another,
the elderly gentleman is loudly applauded by the bystanders, and, having
fairly sung the wrath out of himself, he assists in getting up the dances
and songs with which their evening terminates.
INFLUENCE OF THEIR SONGS.
Is a native afraid, he sings himself full of courage; in fact under all
circumstances he finds aid and comfort from a song. Their songs are
therefore naturally varied in their form; but they are all concise and
convey in the simplest manner the most moving ideas: by a song or wild
chant composed under the excitement of the moment the women irritate the
men to acts of vengeance; and four or five mischievously inclined old
women can soon stir up forty or fifty men to any deed of blood by means
of their chants, which are accompanied by tears and groans, until the men
are worked into a perfect state of frenzy.
NATIVE POETS.
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