In the beginning of 1849 a party of Badulegas who had spent two months on a friendly visit to the natives of Muralug treacherously killed an old Italega woman, married to one of their hosts.  Two of her brothers from Banks Island were staying with her at the time, and one was killed, but the other managed to escape.  The heads were carried off to Badu as trophies.  This treacherous violation of the laws of hospitality was in revenge for some petty injury which one of the Badu men received from an Ita black several years before.

Signals by smoke.

When a large fire is made by one tribe it is often intended as a signal of defiance to some neighbouring one—­an invitation to fight—­and may be continued daily for weeks before hostilities commence; it is answered by a similar one.  Many other signals by smoke are in use:  for example, the presence of an enemy upon the coast—­a wish to communicate with another party at a distance—­or the want of assistance—­may be denoted by making a small fire, which, as soon as it has given out a little column of smoke, is suddenly extinguished by heaping sand upon it.  If not answered immediately it is repeated; if still unanswered, a large fire is got up and allowed to burn until an answer is returned.

Polygamy.

Polygamy is practised both on the mainland and throughout the islands of Torres Strait.  Five is the greatest number of wives which I was credibly informed had been possessed by one man—­but this was an extraordinary instance, one, two, or three, being the usual complement, leaving of course many men who are never provided with wives.  The possession of several wives ensures to the husband a certain amount of influence in his tribe as the owner of so much valuable property, also from the nature and extent of his connections by marriage.  In most cases females are betrothed in infancy, according to the will of the father, and without regard to disparity of age, thus the future husband may be and often is an old man with several wives.  When the man thinks proper he takes his wife to live with him without any further ceremony, but before this she has probably had promiscuous intercourse with the young men, such, if conducted with a moderate degree of secrecy, not being considered as an offence, although if continued after marriage it would be visited by the husband (if powerful enough) upon both the offending parties with the severest punishment.

Occasionally there are instances of strong mutual attachment and courtship, when, if the damsel is not betrothed, a small present made to the father is sufficient to procure his consent; at the Prince of Wales Islands a knife or glass bottle are considered as a sufficient price for the hand of a lady fair, and are the articles mostly used for that purpose.

According to Giaom puberty in girls takes place from the tenth to the twelfth year, but few become mothers at a very early age.  When parturition is about to take place the woman retires to a little distance in the bush, and is attended by an experienced matron.  Delivery is usually very easy, and the mother is almost always able on the following day to attend to her usual occupations.  The infant is laid upon a small soft mat which the mother has taken care to prepare beforehand, and which is used for no other purpose.