Narrative Of The Overland Expedition Of The Messrs. Jardine, From Rockhampton To Cape York, Northern Queensland By Frank Jardine And Alexander Jardine
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Tall Well-Made Men Are
Occasionally Seen; But These Almost Invariably Show Decided Traces Of
A Papuan Or New Guinea Origin, Being Easly Distinguished By The
"Thrum" Like Appearance Of The Hair, Which Is Of A Somewhat Reddish
Tinge, Occasioned No Doubt By Constant Exposure To The Sun And
Weather.
The color of their skin is also much lighter, in some
individuals approaching almost to a copper color.
The true
Australian aborigines are perfectly black, with generally woolly
heads of hair; I have however, observed some with straight hair and
features prominent, and of a strong Jewish cast. The body is marked
on each shoulder with a shield-like device, and on each breast is
generally a mark in shape of a heart, very neatly executed. The
large cicatrices which appear on the bodies of the tribes of Southern
Australia are not used here; nor is a front tooth taken out at the
age of puberty. The 'septum' of the nose is pierced, and the
crescent-shaped tooth, of the dugong is worn in it on state
occasions; large holes are also made in the ears, and a piece of wood
as large as a bottle cork, and whitened with pipe clay, is inserted
in them. A practise of cutting the hair off very close is followed
by both sexes, seemingly once a year, and wigs are made of the hair.
These are decorated with feathers, and worn at the 'corrobories' or
gatherings. The women hold, if possible, a more degraded position
than that generally assigned to them among the Australian aborigines.
They are indeed wretched creatures.
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