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General Climbing Discussion

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climbing = dating? 5-Nov-2008 At 3:10:35 PM MrsM10iswhereitsat.

Message

On 30/10/2008 Ms Wendy wrote:
>I'm not saying that these white middle class males opinions aren't valid,
>merely dominant and it's nice to take them for what they are, theories
>rather than facts, occasionally and examine how their life situation influenced
>their view on the world and how they compare to other theories, analyses
>and adaptions people in other situation have produced.
>
and later wrote about missionaries and misinformation.

Hello dearie.
I have been thinking about many of the things you have said on this thread and believe I have found an interesting bit of history that I would like your opinion on, given the context of influences and how they may change over time.
What do you make of the following?

A Port Jackson Beauty.

“Gooreedeeana . . . excelled in beauty all their females I ever saw: her age about eighteen; the firmness, the symmetry and the luxuriancy of her bosom, might have tempted painting to copy its charms: her mouth was small; and her teeth though exposed to all the destructive purposes to which they apply them, were white, sound and unbroken. Her countenance though marked by some of the characteristics of her native land, was distinguished by a softness and sensibility unequalled in the rest of her countrywomen: and I was willing to believe that these traits indicated the disposition of her mind. I have never before seen this elegant and timid female of whom I had often heard: but the interest I took in her led me to question her about her husband and family. She answered by repeating a name, which I have now forgotten: and told me she had no children. I was seized with a strong propensity to learn whether the attractions of Gooreedeeana were sufficiently powerful to secure her from the brutal violence with which women are treated; and as I found my question either ill understood or reluctantly answered, I proceeded to examine her head, the part on which the husband’s vengeance generally alights. With grief I found it covered with contusions and mangled scars. The poor creature, grown by this time more confident, from perceiving that I pitied her, pointed out a wound just above her left knee, which she told me was received from a spear, thrown at her by a man who had lately dragged her by force from her home, to gratify his lust. I afterwards observed that this wound caused a slight lameness and that she limped in walking. I could only compassionate her wrongs and sympathise in her misfortune: to alleviate her present sense of them, when she took her leave, I gave her, however, all the bread and salt pork which my little stock afforded.”

From “Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay”
- WATKIN TENCH, Captain of Marines.