the guilty person, can consider
themselves in safety from this evil spirit of revenge. Little children
of seven or eight years old, if, while playing, they hear that some
murder has taken place, can in a moment tell whether or not they
are _jee-dyte_, and even at this tender age, take their measures
accordingly. An example of this unsparing visitation of offences
occurred not long after the settlement of New South Wales had commenced.
A native had been murdered, and his widow, being obliged to revenge his
death, chanced to meet with a little girl distantly related to the
murderer, upon whom she instantly poured forth her fury, beating her
cruelly about the head with a club and pointed stone, until at length
she caused the child's death. When this was mentioned before the other
natives, they appeared to look upon it as a right and necessary act, nor
was the woman punished by the child's relatives, possibly because it was
looked upon as a just requital.

When a native has received any injury, whether real or fancied, he is
very apt to work himself up into a tremendous passion, and for this
purpose certain war-songs, especially if they are chanted by women, seem
amazingly powerful. Indeed, it is stated, on good authority, that 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 excited into a
perfect state of frenzy. The men also have their war-songs, which they
sing as they walk rapidly backwards and forwards, quivering their
spears, in order to work themselves up into a passion. The following
very common one may serve for a specimen, both of the manner and matter
of this rude, yet, to them, soul-stirring poetry:--

Yu-do dauna, Spear his forehead,
Nan-do dauna, Spear his breast,
Myeree dauna, Spear his liver,
Goor-doo dauna, Spear his heart,
Boon-gal-la dauna, Spear his loins,
Gonog-o dauna, Spear his shoulder,
Dow-al dauna, Spear his thigh,
Nar-ra dauna, Spear his ribs,
&c. &c. &c. &c. &c. &c.

And thus it is that a native, when he feels afraid, sings himself into
courage, or, if he is already in a bold mood, he heaps fuel upon the
flame of his anger, and adds strength to his fury. The deadly feeling of
hatred and revenge extends itself to their public, as well as to their
private, quarrels, and so