nded like the song of despair, and, indeed,
it was the strain of a female mourning over some deceased relative; nor
could the loud "hurra" of the men, when they came up, angry at the
recent pillage and murder of some of the party, put to flight the
melancholy songstress of the woods. On these occasions it is usual for
the relatives of the deceased to continue their lamentations, appearing
insensible of what people may be doing around them.

The rude verses, given below, and forming the substance of a chant, sung
by an old woman to incite the men to avenge the death of a young person,
may serve at once for a specimen of the poetry and superstition of the
Australian wilderness:--

"The blear-eyed sorcerers of the north
Their vile enchantments sung and wove,
And in the night they sallied forth,
A fearful, man-devouring drove.

"Feasting on our own lov'd one
With sanguinary jaws and tongue,
The wretches sat, and gnaw'd, and kept
Devouring, while their victim slept.
Yho, yang, yho yang, yang yho.

"Yes, unconsciously he rested
In a slumber too profound;
While vile Boyl-yas sat and feasted
On the victim they had bound
In sleep:--Mooligo, dear young brother,
Where shall we find the like of thee?
Favourite of thy tender mother,
We again shall never see
Mooligo, our dear young brother.
Yho, yang yho, ho, ho.

"Men, who ever bold have been,
Are your long spears sharpened well?
Fix anew the quartz-stone keen,
Let each shaft upon them tell.
Poise your _meer-ros_, long and sure,
Let the _kileys_ whiz and whirl
Strangely through the air so pure;
Heavy _dow-uks_ at them hurl;
Shout the yell they dread to hear.
Let the young men leap on high,
To avoid the quivering spear;
Light of limb and quick of eye,
Who sees well has nought to fear.
Let them shift, and let them leap,
While the quick spear whistling flies,
Woe to him who cannot leap!
Woe to him who has bad eyes!"

When an old woman has commenced a chant of this kind, she will continue
it until she becomes positively exhausted; and upon her ceasing, another
takes up the song. The effect some of them have upon the assembled men
is very great; indeed, it is said that these addresses of the old women
are the cause of most of the disturbances which take place. Thu