For some unexplained reason—­possibly a vague sense of fair play which in time may lead to the beginnings of gallantry—­there is one occasion, an initiation ceremonial, at which women are allowed to have their innings while the men are dancing.  On this occasion, says Roth (176),

“each woman can exercise her right of punishing any man who may have ill-treated, abused, or hammered her, and for whom she may have waited months or perhaps years to chastise; for, as each pair appear around the corner at the entrance exposed to her view, the woman and any of her female friends may take a fighting-pole and belabor the particular culprit to their heart’s content, the delinquent not being allowed to retaliate in any way whatsoever—­the only occasion in the whole of her life when the woman can take the law into her own hands without fear or favor.”

WIFE STEALING

This last assertion is not strictly accurate.  There are other occasions when women take the law into their hands, especially when men try to steal them, an every-day occurrence, at least in former times.  Thus W.H.  Leigh writes of the South Australians (152): 

“Their manner of courtship is one which would not be popular among English ladies.  If a chief, or any other individual, be smitten by a female of a different tribe, he endeavors to waylay her; and if she be surprised in any quiet place, the ambushed lover rushes upon her, beats her about the head with his waddy till she becomes senseless, when she is dragged in triumph to his hut.  It sometimes happens, however, that she has a thick skull, and resents his blows, when a battle ensues, and not unfrequently ends in the discomfiture of the Adonis.”

Similarly G.B.  Wilkinson describes how the young men go, usually in groups of two or three, to capture brides of hostile tribes.  They lurk about in concealment till they see that the women are alone, when they pounce upon them and, either by persuasion or blows, take away those they want; whereupon they try to regain their own tribe before pursuit can be attempted.  “This stealing of wives is one cause of the frequent wars that take place amongst the natives.”

Barrington’s History of New South Wales is adorned with the picture of a big naked man having beside him, on her back, a beautifully formed naked girl whom he is dragging away by one arm.  The monster, we read in the text, has come upon her unawares, clubbed her on the head and other parts of the body,

“then snatching up one of her arms, he drags her, streaming with blood from her wounds, through the woods, over stones, rocks, hills, and logs, with all the violence and determination of a savage,” etc.

Curr (I., 237) objects to this picture as a gross exaggeration.  He also declares (I., 108) that it is only on rare occasions that a wife is captured