Page:Life and Adventures of William Buckley.djvu/186

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APPENDIX.
163

people thus destitute are left to follow their own ideas of right and wrong, it is not to be wondered at, that they should act promptly, and upon the impulses of the moment. I would therefore strongly, and most seriously, advise the emigrant to Upper Canada, to constantly bear in mind the Tenth Commandment; if he does not, his blood be upon his own head, for he will be scalp'd to a certainty. He may rest assured that the only progressive operatives introduced to his notice should he fail to do so, will be a scalping-knife and a rifle; and that the only brief, or instructions, will be given on a round piece of lead, which will find its way through his Chancery Court much quicker than would a suit in charge of those who are, of course, all—all—disinterested and honorable men!!!"

So you see reader, there are other people in the world, besides the Port Phillip natives, who are occasionally very jealous.

It would be the labour of a life to write a History of Superstitions,—for what people or nation is without them? We should turn our thoughts inwards therefore, before we laugh at the superstitions of others, and remember that it is not so very long since our own country was full of them,—even to the general belief that a child born with a caul on his head, can never be drowned; and again, that old Van Derdecken, the Flying Dutchman, is still knocking about in a gale of wind off the Cape;—or again, that the man who writes a book (one like this of course) must be clever—sad superstition!!