INTRODUCTION. « Not long ago we visited a small party of aborigines camping near our house. There were four or five ; old Jemmy, his lubra Mary, an adopted child, and their friend Simon. They had just returned from Melbourne, laden with packets of sugar, tea, loaves of bread, meat, sardines, &c. The men were clad in European fashion, though without boots and hats. The woman had some under garments, but the dirty blanket enveloped all. The little girl had only the piece of a blanket. Simon was preparing his supper at the fire. Jemmy was drunk, and quarrelling with his wife. The child was crying on the damp ground. The poor young half-caste was motherless; her reckless father might, for ought we know, be still tending sheep on the plains, or standing behind a counter in Melbourne. The dispute which had lulled at our entrance, was soon resumed in angry earnestness. We found out it was a family quarrel. Oaths and opprobrious epithets, wanting in his own language, the old man borrowed from the classic tongue of the English. Taking us privately aside, he recounted to us a narrative of wrongs, such as few husbands are called upon to endure. The lady utterly denied everything, and charged her spouse with conjugal improprieties, of which he frankly and voluntarily acknowleged the truth, alleging such to be no excuse for her faults. But as she evidently had the best of the argument, a fire stick was applied to her head to induce sounder convictions. This produced retaliations of so active a nature that we were com pelled to interfere, and forcibly hold the avenging arm, while the screaming woman fled into the darkness. B
