572.(94.2) 119 



VI 



Initiation Kites of the Arunta Tribe, 

 Central Australia 



IN Natural Science for April of this year (vol. x., pp. 254-2G3) 

 we gave an account of the Horn Expedition to Central Aus- 

 tralia, and drew special attention to the valuable anthropological 

 observations of Mr F. J. Gillen. This gentleman's residence of 

 fourteen years among the Aruntas of Alice Springs in Central 

 Australia has enabled him to associate himself with them on 

 terms of the closest intimacy, and he is looked on as a full 

 member of the tribe. Since the Horn Expedition, three years 

 ago, Professor Baldwin Spencer of Melbourne has been in constant 

 correspondence with Mr Gillen, and has twice used the university 

 vacation to revisit the district, although the heat during the summer 

 months is exceedingly trying to any European. During the summer 

 of 1896-7 Professor Spencer undertook the long and difficult 

 journey to Alice Springs in order to witness the most mystic rite 

 of the Aruntas, and the one of rarest occurrence, namely, the fire- 

 ceremony, for which preparations had been made by the tribe for 

 eighteen months beforehand. His unique experiences were com- 

 municated to the Eoyal Society of Victoria on his return, early in 

 April, and the following interesting account is given in The Aus- 

 tralasian for April 17, 1897 : — 



Within a mile or two of the picturesquely-placed telegraph 

 station, with its tiny cluster of stone houses, the strange aboriginal 

 ceremonies were to be celebrated, and here for four months Pro- 

 fessor Spencer made his headquarters. In order to be at hand 

 when all the rites were being performed, Mr Gillen and the pro- 

 fessor occupied a wurley, built on the sacred ground of the natives, 

 and provisions were brought out from the station. Driven to 

 desperation by flies, which had to be actually brushed off every 

 article of food while it was being put into the mouth, slowly 

 grilling under the tropic sun, and choked by the clouds of dust 

 which every gentle breeze raised, the two observers had to make 

 notes, take photographs, and measure evil-smelling natives for 

 scientific purposes, when other employment slackened. The un- 

 certainty as to when and where the next ceremony would take 

 place kept Mr Spencer and Mr Gillen at all times on the qui vive, 

 and on several occasions they had to tear after the blacks at mid-day 



