When We Said 'weeree', He Answered 'beeal',
Which We Translated And Adopted For 'good'; Whereas He Meant No More Than
Simply To Deny Our Inference, And Say 'no' - It Is Not Bad.
After this,
it cannot be thought extraordinary that the little vocabulary inserted in
Mr. Cook's account of this part
Of the world should appear defective -
even were we not to take in the great probability of the dialects at
Endeavour River and Van Diemen's land differing from that spoken
at Port Jackson. And it remains to be proved that the animal called here
'patagaram' is not there called 'kangaroo'.]
Stretched out at ease before our fire, all sides continued to chat
and entertain each other. Gombeeree shewed us the mark of a wound
which he had received in his side from a spear. It was large, appeared
to have passed to a considerable depth, and must certainly have been attended
with imminent danger. By whom it had been inflicted, and on what occasion,
he explained to Colbee; and afterwards (as we understood) he entered into
a detail of the wars, and, as effects lead to causes, probably of the
gallantries of the district, for the word which signifies a woman
was often repeated. Colbee, in return for his communication, informed him
who we were; of our numbers at Sydney and Rose Hill, of the stores
we possessed and, above all, of the good things which were to be found
among us, enumerating potatoes, cabbages, turnips, pumpkins, and many other
names which were perfectly unintelligible to the person who heard them,
but which he nevertheless listened to with profound attention.
Perhaps the relation given by Gombeeree, of the cure of his wound,
now gave rise to the following superstitious ceremony. While they were
talking, Colbee turned suddenly round and asked for some water. I gave him
a cupful, which he presented with great seriousness to Yellomundee,
as I supposed to drink. This last indeed took the cup and filled his mouth
with water, but instead of swallowing it, threw his head into Colbee's bosom,
spit the water upon him and, immediately after, began to suck strongly
at his breast, just below the nipple. I concluded that the man was sick;
and called to the governor to observe the strange place which he had chosen
to exonerate his stomach. The silent attention observed by the other natives,
however, soon convinced us that something more than merely the accommodation
of Yellomundee, was intended. The ceremony was again performed; and,
after having sucked the part for a considerable time, the operator pretended
to receive something in his mouth, which was drawn from the breast.
With this he retired a few paces, put his hand to his lips and threw
into the river a stone, which I had observed him to pick up slily, and secrete.
When he returned to the fireside, Colbee assured us that he had received
signal benefit from the operation; and that this second Machaon had extracted
from his breast two splinters of a spear by which he had been formerly wounded.
We examined the part, but it was smooth and whole, so that to the force
of imagination alone must be imputed both the wound and its cure.
Colbee himself seemed nevertheless firmly persuaded that he had received
relief, and assured us that Yellomundee was a 'caradyee', or
'Doctor of renown'.
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