Title

A well known useful native, named Boggara, but commonly called Mendoza, died last Saturday night ...

Author

The Sydney Gazette

Source

Sydney Gazette (Sydney)

Details

27 November 1813, page, column 1

Publication date

27 November 1813

Type

News

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

A well known useful native, named Boggara, but commonly called Mendoza, died last Saturday night or Sunday morning, and was the latter day interred within the confines of Woolloomoolloo, the ceremonial of which was accompanied with anticks strange and unaccountable. The head of the de- ceased was bruised and beaten with waddles until it had almost lost the resemblance of a human head; the eyes, as we are assured by a gentleman who was a very near spectator, were taken out, and the body, then closely wrapped in bark, paraded on men's shoulders in a direction alternately progressive and recedent at acute angles, through many intricate passages, ascending hills and rocks, and after a mazy traverse was at length taken to the grave and deposited. Here the funeral attendants, who were numerous, took up their abode till the following day, when the costume assumed another shape; the men poised their spears and grasped their shields as if preparing for a general combat: The deceased was a native of Broken Bay, from whence a formidable party were in attendance to avenge his death, although by human hands he fell not. The grand ordeal of the Sydney natives at length arrived: Two aged seers, with solemn action, descended into the grave, which had been dug with the bony end of a wammera in preference to any iron utensil, for the purpose of enquiring of the deceased how he came by his death, and thus imposing on him the office of coroner in his own particular case. During this very interesting inquisition numbers stood ready for action, unconscious of the verdict which the dead body should return. Happily for these poor creatures, however, the inquisitorial commissioners re-ascended to the level of the soil with the gratifying information that he was killed 'by no man,' and a peaceful separation followed.

[The Sydney Gazette, 27 November 1813, page, column 1].

Web address

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/628811

Last Updated

13 Nov 2024