FL661447

the murderer would be most summarily dealt with & put to death
[word crossed out] judge jury & & executioners [word crossed out] all
consisting of the same [word crossed out] men.
I now proceed to describe to you the con-
dition and treatment of the fair sex, if that
term might be applied to to these poor Abori-
ginal females. Their degradation and
slavish dependence can hardly be painted
in too strong colours. From their childhood
up to old age they are entirely subject to
the arbitrary will & caprise of the men.
Often they are betrothed by their parents at
a tender age, it may be to a man [word crossed out] then
in the prime of life who is perhaps already
possessed of a wife. [words crossed out]
Polygamy, I would here remark is quite
common among these Aborigines, and is
not only a source of much dispute, but an
occasion of rendering the condition of the
woman so degrading, as I shall presently
show. Whether a girl be betrothed in her
infancy or not, or supposing her intended
husband dies before she becomes marriage-
able, in no case is the woman consulted.
she has not the choice of refusing an offer

the murderer would be most summarily dealt with & put to death
[word crossed out] judge jury & & executioners [word crossed out] all
consisting of the same [word crossed out] men.
I now proceed to describe to you the con-
dition and treatment of the fair sex, if that
term might be applied to to these poor Abori-
ginal females. Their degradation and
slavish dependence can hardly be painted
in too strong colours. From their childhood
up to old age they are entirely subject to
the arbitrary will & caprise of the men.
Often they are betrothed by their parents at
a tender age, it may be to a man [word crossed out] then
in the prime of life who is perhaps already
possessed of a wife. [words crossed out]
Polygamy, I would here remark is quite
common among these Aborigines, and is
not only a source of much dispute, but an
occasion of rendering the condition of the
woman so degrading, as I shall presently
show. Whether a girl be betrothed in her
infancy or not, or supposing her intended
husband dies before she becomes marriage-
able, in no case is the woman consulted.
she has not the choice of refusing an offer