, together with her favourite dog,
were buried with her,--all apparently for use in another world. The
skull of this poor creature was full of indentations, as if a tin vessel
had been struck by a hammer; light might be seen through these hollows,
which had been caused by blows of _whaddies_ (hard sticks) when she was
young, and some bold youths among the natives courted her after this
strange fashion. It seemed scarcely possible that marks so extraordinary
could have been made in the human skull without fracturing it.[64]

[64] Martin's New South Wales, p. 143.

In a society of men so simple and so little advanced in refinement or
civilisation as the inhabitants of New Holland, it is evident that their
wants must be few and easily satisfied, their stock of earthly riches
very small and humble. Indeed, these people nearly always carry the
whole of their worldly property about with them, and the Australian
hunter is thus equipped: round his middle is wound a belt spun from the
fur of the opossum, in which are stuck his hatchet, his _kiley_ or
_boomerang_, and a short heavy stick to throw at the smaller animals.
In his hand he carries his throwing-stick, and several spears, headed in
two or three different manners, so that they are equally suitable to war
or the chase. In the southern parts, a warm kangaroo-skin cloak, thrown
over his shoulders, completes the hunter's outfit; but this is seldom or
never seen northwards of 29 deg. south latitude. These, however, are not
quite all the riches of the barbarian, a portion of which is carried by
his wife, or wives, as the case may be; and each of these has a long
thick stick, with its point hardened in the fire, a child or two fixed
upon their shoulders, and in their bags, in which also they keep sundry
other articles, reckoned valuable and important for the comfort of
savage life. For example; a flat stone to pound roots with, and earth to
mix with the pounded roots;[65] quartz, for making spears and knives;
stones, for hatchets; gum, for making and mending weapons and tools;
kangaroo sinews for thread, and the shin-bones of the same animal for
needles;--these and many similar articles, together with whatever roots,
&c. they may have collected during the day, form the total of the burden
of a female Australian; and this, together with the husband's goods,
forms the sum and substance of the wealth of an inhabitant of the
southern land. In Wellesley's Islands, on the north coa