634 HABITS AND CUSTOMS OF QUEENSLAND NATIVES, 



it was described to him as a process of circumcision ; he soon, 

 however, convinced himself when he had an opportunity, that 

 such was not the case, but that it consisted of the more formid- 

 able operation mentioned. Mr. Brown is fully of opinion that 

 amongst the tribes he visited certain members of them were 

 left unoperated on. Since being informed of this custom by Mr. 

 Brown, I have had sent to me a very interesting pamphlet written 

 by Dr. Eichardson, who gives aminute account of this operation as 

 practised by the Natives in North-west Australia, making them 

 in reality Hypospodiacs. 



Mr. Henry Bloomfield, while residing at Fort Constantino 

 Station on the Cloncurry Eiver, District of Bourke, 270 miles 

 south of Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria, and about 570 

 miles west of Townsville, observed that many of the Natives 

 residing there had been subjected to an operation of the same 

 kind, but that the custom was not at all universal. The Natives 

 however, which inhabit the heads of the Cloncurry have all been 

 subjected to this operation, and the same was • found to be 

 universal amongst the natives which inhabit the MacKinlay 

 Eange and the watershed, from thence west, except the tribes 

 known as the Calcadoon, Edgiree, Einooringoo, and Yallunga, 

 and possibly others. Mr. Bloomfield has no doubt that every 

 one of the males of these tribes have had this operation performed 

 on them, and that none of them have been left intact, as is 

 generally affirmed by persons who have been out in the districts 

 where these tribes reside — the term Bucks has been applied to 

 those of the males of these tribes who are supposed to have been 

 left perfect — from information obtained by personal inquiry Mr. 

 Bloomfield made himseK sure that any Natives amongst these 

 +ribes not operated on were only visitors from other tribes from 

 a distance, residing with them only temporarily. This oj)eration 

 of splitting up the urethra is done with a sharp flint, about the 

 age of puberty or at any rate before the young men of the tribes 

 are permitted to take gins. It was supposed by many who had 



