1897] INITIATION RITES OF THE AUUNTA TRIBE 123 



decorated piece of wood which he held upright, and slowly and 

 steadily knocked on the ground. At each side of him another old 

 man sat holding his wrist, and assisting in this wearisome work, 

 which, with most remarkable endurance, was kept up without a 

 pause from half-past nine at night till about five next morning. 



The number of candidates was very large, there being more than 

 a hundred who were initiated. On the day following the final 

 ceremony took place, the men crossing over to the women's camp, 

 and each kneeling on a tire there. 



Concluding Notes. — Each of the old men who were directing 

 operations had men of his own totem under his charge, and for 

 their proper initiation he was responsible. During the whole 

 period of nearly four months they were not allowed to speak to 

 him. At the conclusion of the rites they had to bring him some 

 food-offering, such as cooked wallaby, and begged him to make them 

 speak. He then touched their lips, and the ban of silence was 

 removed. 



A good deal of the significance of many of the ceremonies has 

 probably been lost, but their main object seems to have been to test 

 the endurance of the young men, and to teach them the past 

 history of the tribe, while the possession of a knowledge of the 

 correct method of procedure by the old men, who practically formed 

 a council for the administration of the whole series of rites, would 

 naturally cause them to be held in high esteem. 



As this ceremony is only performed at intervals of many years, 

 it is more than likely that, with the advance of the white man, the 

 present may be the last occasion on which it will be performed with 

 the completeness in which it was witnessed by Professor Spencer 

 and Mr Gillen. The results so laboriously obtained are conse- 

 quently of peculiar value. 0. 



