ssued his orders with great calmness,
which were implicitly obeyed. They formed themselves in a "_half moon
ring_," and attacked the English with great vigour. The chief was shot:
they were struck with dismay, and endeavoured to make him stand; "they
made a frightful noise, looked up to heaven, and smote their
breasts!"[31]

The wars among them latterly, provoked by driving one tribe on the
boundaries of another, were not infrequent; as everywhere, women were
the cause and object of strife. The tribes to the westward were the
finer race: those from South Cape to Cape Grim, had better huts, and
they wore mocassins on travel. Those on the east of the Launceston road
were confederate: towards the last, the Oyster Bay tribe committed their
children to the care of the Big River tribe, many of whom had been slain
by the western tribes, as well as by the English. It was this which
increased the difficulties of their conciliation: they had not only to
be reconciled to the English, but to each other. They were bold and
warlike in their carriage, and when exhibiting spear exercise, commanded
the admiration of the spectator.

_Agility and Dexterity._--Their skill was chiefly exerted in obtaining
their food: they were agile and dextrous. The opossum was hunted by the
women, who by a glance discovered if the animal were to be found in the
tree. They ascended trees of a tremendous height: they first threw
round the trunk a rope, twice its girth, which they held in the centre,
and by the left end, in one hand: having cut the first notch for the
toe, they raised themselves up by the rope, in an attitude sufficiently
perpendicular to carry the hatchet or stone on the head. They then cut a
second, and by a jerk of the bight of the rope, raised it up: thus, step
by step, they reached the branch, over which the loose end of the rope
being cast, they were enabled to draw themselves round. It is stated by
Backhouse, that they only required these notches at the bottom of the
tree; and they dispensed with them as the bark became smooth, and the
diameter diminished. They ascended almost as rapidly as with a ladder,
and came down more quickly. When the ropes were of skin, or more
perishable materials, the accidents must have been many and terrible.
This feat required considerable muscular strength, and in the weak
produced great physical exhaustion. They were swift of foot: when they
possessed dogs, they ran nearly abreast of them; stimulated t