which are cut with broken pieces
of the shell they use at the end of the throwing stick. By keeping open
these incisions, the flesh grows up between the sides of the wound, and
after a time, skinning over, forms a large wale or seam. I have seen
instances where these scars have been cut to resemble the feet of
animals; and such boys as underwent the operation while they lived with
us, appeared to be proud of the ornament, and to despise the pain which
they must have endured. The operation is performed when they are young,
and until they advance in years the scars look large and full; but on
some of their old men I have been scarcely able to discern them. As a
principal ornament, the men, on particular occasions, thrust a bone or
reed through the _septum nasi_, the hole through which is bored when they
are young. Some boys who went away from us for a few days, returned
dignified with this strange ornament, having, in the mean time, had the
operation performed upon them; they appeared to be from twelve to fifteen
years of age. The bone that they wear is the small bone in the leg of the
kangaroo, one end of which is sharpened to a point. I have seen several
women who had their noses perforated in this extraordinary manner.

The women are, besides, early subjected to an uncommon mutilation of the
two first joints of the little finger of the left hand. The operation is
performed when they are very young, and is done with a hair, or some
other slight ligature. This being tied round at the joint, the flesh soon
swells, and in a few days, the circulation being destroyed, the finger
mortifies and drops off. I never saw but one instance where the finger
was taken off from the right hand, and that was occasioned by the mistake
of the mother. Before we knew them, we took it to be their marriage
ceremony; but on seeing their mutilated children we were convinced of our
mistake; and at last learned, that these joints of the little finger were
supposed to be in the way when they wound their fishing lines over the
hand. On our expressing a disgust of the appearance, they always
applauded it, and said it was very good. They name it Mal-gun; and among
the many women whom I saw, but very few had this finger perfect. On my
pointing these out to those who were so distinguished, they appeared to
look at and speak of them with some degree of contempt.

The men too were not without their mutilation. Most of those who lived on
the sea-coast we f