FIGHTING FOR WIVES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1981, 11 February 1914, Page 11

FIGHTING FOR WIVES

/•NATIVE 'SCENES IN QUEENSLAND. Courfship as a prelinjinary to jusrriage is dispense J with amoiig the blacks . .along tli'e Uiilt' of Carpentaria, QuesnsSand, and love is an elenrent that' does not enter much into the contract. Mr, H. Matthews, superintendent', of the Mjtchel| River Station, Controlled bytlic .•Australian Board of .Missions, describes one of the. marriage '.'ceremonies" that ho had \ritnessed reetently, and the sioty is best told in his own words. - "Just before. 1 left," lie'said, "softie of the.-bush blacks intimated their inten-tion.-of .lighting-for the possession of -somo of tho girls On aur-station, who yve ; liad hoped would. marry sofflo of our , 'boys.' .When I,heard of this I was naturally concerned,, and tailed the boys .'and girls together - to discuss- tho matter mid see what'nieans could be; taken" to avoid tho conflict. Ssmewiiat .to 'my s#rprise!. thoy' ivould not li«a.r- «f . that . course! > Theiboys' said-tliitethiß-' proc-'e- ;• *dur«MtaM> • •;saiditho same. So-tlrat'tljere was no- ' tiling' for -it but to await:the appointed ' daj\ No undue advantage wisi-s taken :. .-by! tfith6f.|sidcß •and' abflve-board. - I'Was aliowe(j' , t<s , '.'b'e • present at the- proceedings, "and never have:I 4 seen a fairer fight. • •• tho already married mott sat id' two lilies facing each other.' The married- woriieii ranged theiiiseivc-s - in pyoiJlps at tho back. . The girls for whose hands ■-these, dusky kniglits- were to contend -were .hidden sbmeivliere in 'tlw:-busli. The'combatants faced each other in th-o' middle of the lines, entering the- fray in pairs. First they started throwing ■ 'Wars at each other, and this'was no. ■child's play, I can assure you. Invnri- [ ably the missiles wore deftly warded off • nvith their shields, thejr ;sig.ht and their .riervo being quite remarkabhi. ' .' "If aher'they had exhausted their supply of spears none had takim effect, they 'threw boomerangs ,a-t eacli other. TlieSe are not the ordinary bocnieratigs, that go circling through the air,-but . bigger weapons that are 'thrown -with all their foras on the- ground and bou-uco up at the object aimed at with, terrific speecl. This was far find aM"ay the most . dangerous of tho methods used, and otil.v tho "Very skilful 'succeeded in, avoiding being laid out. • . • "Where the boomerang fight failed to end the contest,' it was brought to a conclusion with the waddy, the combatants going at it hammer and tongs in . close'quarters'.till one was knocked out or till lie'fled. Then, amid the_plaudits of the spectators, the conquering here went and claimed his bride."