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left finger joints off

Language: 
Biyal Biyal
Australian: 
Mal-gun
English JS Main: 
left finger joints off
English: 
The women are, besides, early subjected to an uncommon mutilation of the two first joints of the little finger of the left hand. The operation is performed when they are very young, and is done with a hair, or some other slight ligature. This being tied round at the joint, the flesh soon swells, and in a few days, the circulation being destroyed, the finger mortifies and drops off. I never saw but one instance where the finger was taken off from the right hand, and that was occasioned by the mistake of the mother. Before we knew them, we took it to be their marriage ceremony; but on seeing their mutilated children we were convinced of our mistake; and at last learned, that these joints of the little finger were supposed to be in the way when they wound their fishing lines over the hand. On our expressing a disgust of the appearance, they always applauded it, and said it was very good. They name it Mal-gun; and among the many women whom I saw, but very few had this finger perfect. On my pointing these out to those who were so distinguished, they appeared to look at and speak of them with some degree of contempt
Category: 
ceremonial: customs
Sub-category: 
scars and body harm
Source: 
Collins 1
Page: 
458
Line: 
30
Respelt: 
malgun
Part of speech: 
noun
Date: 
1798
Meaning Clue: 
"Mal-gun" malgun = "... mutilation of the two first joints of the little finger of the left hand..." left finger joints off : Collins 1 [:458:30] [BB] ----------- "Mailkun" Mayilgan = "a name of the wife of Koin, q.v" : Tkld AWA (Fraser) 1892 [:49:35.2] [Awa]
Source Details: 
David Collins (17.32 This proposal, he thought, could not be considered otherwise than as fair and reasonable, when they recollected that the means by which individuals had so far improved their farms had arisen from the very liberal manner in which government had given up the labour of so great a number of its own servants, to assist the industry of others. If this representation should not have the effect which he hoped and expected, by a reduction of the present high price of grain, he thought it his duty to propose, that those who were assisted with servants from government, should at least undertake to furnish those servants with bread. To those who had farms on the banks of the Hawkesbury he thought it necessary to observe, that, there not being any granaries in that district belonging to government, the expense of conveying their grain from thence to this part of the settlement rendered it absolutely necessary that they should lower their prices; otherwise they must be at that expence themselves, and bring their surplus corn to market either at Sydney or Parramatta, where government had stores where in to deposit it, and where only the commissary could be permitted to receive it. 254 David Collins Page numbers follow textCollins left the hospital determined to trust to nature.* * And he did not trust in vain. We saw him from time to time for several weeks walking about with the spear unmoved, 89) 1975: An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales Vol. 1: Originally published 1798) ------------------------ Collins, David. 1975 [1798]. An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, With Remarks on the Dispositions, Customs, Manners. etc., of the Native Inhabitants of that Country: Volume I. Edited by B. H. Fletcher. First ed. 2 vols. Vol. I. Sydney: A.H. & A.W. Reed in association with the Royal Australian Historical Society. Original edition, 1798, published by T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, London. JS LOCATION: Personal volume on study bopkshelves

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