ever knew of an
instance of separation between them after they had any family. In a
few instances polygamy prevailed.

The following will give a pretty correct idea of their funeral rites
and solemnities:

When a person dies, the inhabitants of the village assemble together,
and commence drumming and singing, halloing and yelling; and continue
their boisterous lamentations for about 48 hours, day and night,
relieving each other as they require. This they do, because they
imagine it is diverting to the person deceased. They bury the body at
a particular place back of their houses, and use mats for a coffin.
After the ceremony of interment is performed, they plant two cocoanut
trees, one at the head and the other at the feet of the buried person.
But if the trees ever bear fruit, the women are prohibited from eating
thereof, for fear of displeasing the bad spirit, _Anit_. And here it
may not be inappropriate to remind the reader that Eve ate of the
forbidden fruit, notwithstanding she knew it would displease the GOOD
SPIRIT.

In their personal appearance, the natives are about the middle size,
with broad faces, flat noses, black hair and eyes, and large mouths.

In relation to literature, they are as ignorant as it is possible for
people to be, having not the most distant idea of letters.

Concerning the religion of the untaught natives of the Mulgraves, the
following remarks will give all the knowledge I am in possession of:

They believe there is an invisible spirit that rules and governs all
events, and that he is the cause of all their sickness and
distress;--consequently they consider him to be a very bad being.--But
they have no belief in a good spirit, nor have they any modes of
worship.--It is a prevalent opinion among them, when any are sick,
that the bad spirit rests upon them; and they believe that particular
manoeuvres and a form of words, performed round and said over the
sick, will induce _Anit_, the bad spirit, to cease from afflicting,
and leave the unfortunate sufferers. With regard to a future state of
existence, they believe that the _shadow_, or what survives the body,
is, after death, entirely happy; that it roves about at pleasure, and
takes much delight in beholding everything that is transacted in this
world;--and as they consider the world as an extensive plain, they
suppose the disembodied spirits travel quite to the edge of the skies,
where they think white people live, and then back agai