ably elevated and forms a prominence as thick as a man's finger.
No doubt but pain must be severely felt until the wound be healed. But the
love of ornament defies weaker considerations, and no English beau can bear
more stoutly the extraction of his teeth to make room for a fresh set from
a chimney sweeper, or a fair one suffer her tender ears to be perforated,
with more heroism than the grisly nymphs on the banks of Port Jackson,
submit their sable shoulders to the remorseless lancet.

That these scarifications are intended solely to increase personal
allurement I will not, however, positively affirm. Similar, perhaps, to the
cause of an excision of part of the little finger of the left hand in
the women, and of a front tooth in the men;* or probably after all our
conjectures, superstitious ceremonies by which they hope either to avert
evil or to propagate good, are intended. The colours with which they
besmear the bodies of both sexes possibly date from the same common origin.
White paint is strictly appropriate to the dance. Red seems to be used on
numberless occasions, and is considered as a colour of less consequence.
It may be remarked that they translate the epithet white when they speak of
us, not by the name which they assign to this white earth, but by that with
which they distinguish the palms of their hands.

[*It is to be observed that neither of these ceremonies is universal, but
nearly so. Why there should exist exemptions I cannot resolve. The manner
of executing them is as follows. The finger is taken off by means of a
ligature (generally a sinew of a kangaroo) tied so tight as to stop the
circulation of the blood, which induces mortification and the part drops
off. I remember to have seen Colbee's child, when about a month old, on
whom this operation had been just performed by her mother. The little
wretch seemed in pain, and her hand was greatly swelled. But this was
deemed too trifling a consideration to deserve regard in a case of so much
importance.

The tooth intended to be taken out is loosened by the gum being scarified
on both sides with a sharp shell. The end of a stick is then applied to the
tooth, which is struck gently several times with a stone, until it becomes
easily moveable, when the 'coup de grace' is given by a smart stroke.
Notwithstanding these precautions, I have seen a considerable degree of
swelling and inflammation follow the extraction. Imeerawanyee, I remember,
suffered s