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
Miago ought, according to custom, to have allowed three full days to
elapse before his brother's widows entered his hut, but as Bennyyowlee
appeared resolved not to renounce his intention of claiming the hand of
one of the ladies Miago's friends thought it more prudent to bring
matters to a speedy issue, lest, in the interim, his rival might carry of
Mugawit, the young lady he was desirous of possessing. On Monday evening
therefore when I went to the native encampment I found that the first
forms of the marriage ceremony had taken place, which were as follows:
Miago ordered the two widows of his brother to prepare his hut, that as
soon as the sun had set he might sleep there. Bennyyowlee, who, with his
friends and supporters were encamped within a few yards of the other
party, went up to Mugawit and ordered her to follow him to his Mya, or
bark hut; this she declined doing, and he immediately speared her in the
thigh. Miago now, as in duty bound, threw a quartz-headed spear at
Bennyyowlee, which, if the latter had not most dexterously avoided, must
have proved fatal. A general disturbance would have taken place had not I
and several other Europeans come up at the same moment and pacified
Miago, whilst Bennyyowlee took advantage of this temporary calm to
evacuate the field, followed by insulting shouts of laughter from Miago's
friends.
A circumstance strongly illustrating the peculiar family customs of this
people occurred this evening. Moorroongo, Miago's stepfather, was a
Tdondarup, and as such stood in the relation of matta-gyne to
Bennyyowlee; his hut stood therefore amongst those of this native's
friends, and Miago's future wives remained in the care of his mother, and
of course amongst the friends of his rival. When however Bennyyowlee
departed Miago's mother and the two native girls went over to the Ngotak
and Nagarnook party, who were, on this occasion, united. They then built
a hut for Miago and lighted a fire; the old mother herself swept out the
hut, so as to make it perfectly clean and nice; the brides then laid down
in it, one on each side, so as to leave a vacant place in the centre for
their new lord and master; and Miago's mother, having seen all these
arrangements completed, returned once more to the hut of her husband.
This was a remarkable instance of a stepfather and son being by custom
compelled to espouse opposite sides of a quarrel because they bore
different family names.
BURIAL OF A NATIVE IN THE LESCHENAULT DISTRICT. BURIAL AT THE VASSE.
As these forms of interment have considerable interest and are somewhat
varied in their details in different localities, I have subjoined the
following account of the burial of a native, as described in an extract
of a letter from Mr. Bussel, a gentleman resident near the Vasse River in
Western Australia:
PROCESSION TO THE GRAVE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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