st, and was obliged to endure
them. His real mother, the captain says, could scarcely have expressed
more delight at his return, while his sable-coloured brothers and sister
paid their respects to him, when the vehemence of a mother's affection
had somewhat subsided. He was convinced that the old woman really
believed him to be her son, whose first thought, upon his return to
earth, had been to revisit his old mother, and bring her a present!

The natives believe that the _night-mare_--a subject likely enough to
give birth to superstition--is caused by some evil spirit, in order to
get rid of which they jump up, seize a lighted brand from the fire, and,
after whirling it round the head with a variety of imprecations, they
throw the stick away in the direction where they suppose the evil spirit
to be. They say the demon wants a light, and that when he gets it, he
will go away. However, besides supplying this his need, they likewise
take the precautions of changing their position, and of getting as near
as they can into the middle of the group of their companions who are
sleeping round the fire. If obliged to move away from the fire after
dark, either to get water or for any other purpose, they carry a light
with them, and set fire to dry bushes as they go along.

A profound respect, almost amounting to veneration, is paid in many
districts of Australia to shining stones or pieces of crystal, which
they call "_Teyl_." These are carried in the girdles of men, especially
of the sorcerers or _corad-jes_, and no woman is allowed to see the
contents of the round balls made of woollen cord from the fur of the
opossum in which these crystals are enclosed. They are employed as
charms in sickness, and are sometimes sent from tribe to tribe for
hundreds of miles on the sea-coast or in the interior. One of these
stones, which was examined by an Englishman, to whom it was shown
privately by a black, was of a substance like quartz, about the size
of a pigeon's egg, and transparent, like white sugar-candy. The small
particles of crystal which crumble off are swallowed in order to prevent
illness. Many other instances of the like superstitious folly might very
easily be gathered from the writings of those who have had the best
opportunities of becoming acquainted with the manners of the Australian
tribes.

The following is from the pen of the Rev. G. King, a missionary of the
Society for Propagating the Gospel, who speaks thus of the