390 ANTHROPOLOGICAL NOTES, 



When about to convey important communications to another 

 tribe, such as to summon the warriors for a hostile invasion of the 

 territory of their common enemies, or for a friendly meeting 

 with the object of performing rites of a ceremonial nature, &c., 

 two men were generally sent. Whilst the one slept the other 

 kept watch to avoid being surprised by enemies during the 

 journey, or being taken and slain as such whilst asleep by some 

 friendly natives in mistake. 



When on the war-f)ath, as well as during the performance of 

 their rites of initiation and at their dances and corrobories, they 

 liked to appear ornamented, which they accomplished by painting 

 the fronts of their bodies. The colours used were white, red, and 

 black. For the first they used pipeclay, for the second raddle, 

 and for the black charred seedstalks of the grasstree. The 

 powdered charcoal they mixed with grease, forming a pigment 

 that would stick on for months. 



They had two distinct ceremonies to raise the male members of 

 the tribe from childhood to manhood. 



At about the age of from 14 to 16 years the young man was 

 made " Kurrunong," which was done by knocking out one of his 

 upper central incisors. This removed him from the care of his 

 mother and the influence of the women, and so to say raised him 

 from boyhood to the state of youth. 



At the age of 18 or 20, that is when his beard had started to 

 develop properly, he was made "Wahu." To initiate him into 

 this state, the following ceremon}"- was performed by the men, the 

 women being excluded : — All the hair of the head was singed off 

 close to the skull by means of some burning fibrous bark. This 

 was a somewhat slow procedure, and had to l^e done ver}^ 

 gradually, the hair being lit continually and blown out before it 

 flared up too much. Whilst the young man submitted to this in 

 silence, the onlookers and operators would carry on a lively con- 

 versation or some chanting. When all the hair had been removed 

 and the singing was over, three of the old men came running 

 towards the newly initiated witlf green boughs in their hands, 

 which tJiey waved in succession several times over his head. 



