My young son, } again,
In future shall I
never see.

But previously to our entering upon the subject of the funeral
rites practised in New Holland, it will be necessary to notice the
superstitions respecting sorcerers, which in that country are so
intimately connected with the very idea of death. When an individual
life is taken away by open violence, then, as we have seen, it is
avenged upon the supposed murderer, or his relatives. But when death
occurs from accidental or natural causes, it is usually attributed to
the influence of sorcery, and not unfrequently is it revenged upon some
connexion of the parties believed to have practised that art. So that,
generally speaking, the death of one human being involves that of
another, which is no small check to population. In truth, it would
almost seem that the natives have no idea of death occurring, except by
violence or sorcery;[60] and these strange notions must not be dealt
with too severely, in a country like England, where (within the last 200
years, and in no uncivilised state of society) persons have been burnt
for witchcraft; and in which, even in the present day, every vile
imposture and godless pretence of supernatural power is sure of finding
eager listeners and astonished admirers. The _Boyl-yas_, or native
sorcerers, are objects of mysterious dread, and are thought to have the
power of becoming invisible to all eyes but those of their brethren in
the same evil craft. As our northern witches were supposed to have the
power of riding upon a broom-stick, so these southern sorcerers are said
to be able to transport themselves at pleasure through the air. If they
have a dislike to any one they can kill him, it is said, by stealing on
him at night and consuming his flesh, into which they enter like pieces
of quartz-stone, and the pain they occasion is always felt. Another
sorcerer, however, can draw them out, and the pieces of stone pretended
to be thus obtained are kept as great curiosities. Perhaps the clearest
ideas of the imaginary powers of these sorcerers, and of the dread in
which they are held, will be found from the following account, obtained
from a native with the utmost difficulty, (for the subject is never
willingly mentioned,) and reported _verbatim_ by Captain Grey.

[60] "The natives do not allow that there is such a thing as a death
from natural causes; the