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76 belief in a future of happiness. Thus a female friend of ours was once talking with a lubra pensioner. She enquired after the health of William the sick husband of the dark mendicant. “ Him plenty bad—him tumble down soon ” (die) was the sorrowful reply. A question was asked as to the future lot of departed Aborigines. “ Him go plenty long way—come up whitefeliow,” answered the lubra. Full of kindness toward the wandering, neglected ones, the good lady unfolded to the benighted creature the way of salvation. Rapt in attention, she listened to all until she heard that if she were good and her husband good, she would meet him in happy Heaven. Throwing up her arms, and with her eyes streaming with tears, she exclaimed, “ Me see William again, oh ! that plenty good—very good—me see William—me see William again.” The Christianity qf the affections has charms for even opossum clad Australians. SUPERSTITIONS. Superstition accompanies ignorance. The savage who will face a raging lion, trembles at a shadow. Want of knowledge leads us to imagine absutd causes of things, and to rely upon ideal agencies for relief. Hence crude notions of philosophy, and the use of charms. We will refer to some of the foolish superstitions of the Port Phillip Blacks. As before intimated, we must not confound any of these with religious ideas, because they seem to have a connection more or less remote with the supernatural. Our dark friends seldom quitted the camp fire at night, for fear <ff encountering malignant spirits ; we know of more refined people of more than one sex, who have similar timidity at the witching hour of night. They have as much respect for their Doctors or Sorcerers, as many of our London maidens have for fortune telling Astrologers, A friend of ours saw an odd ceremony performed by one of these gentlemen on three sable ladies laden with future cares. They stood before him in usual native undress, He looked at each attentively, catching the eye of the person. Drawing back to a stump, he uttered an incantation. Then advancing to the women, he blew on their bodies. This was repeated several times.
