NOirril QUKKNSLANl) ICTHNOGRAIHY ROTH. 29 



but alone among the Cloncurry natives and then solely amongst 

 some of the older men, ear-holes in which a kangaroo-bone is 

 said to have been worn, were present (1897); piercing however 

 is never practised here nowadays. 



18. Nose-boring ; iVose-jnns. — Tlie nose may be found pierced 

 in both sexe.«, e.g., Pennefatlier, Middle Embley, Palmer, 

 Endeavour, and Bloomfield Rivers, Ca|)e Bedford, and whole 

 North West Queensland ; pierced in the males, sometimes in tlie 

 females, e.g., Princess Charlotte Bay ; in males alone, e.g., Cape 

 Grafton and apparently in the Wellesley I.slands ; sometimes, in 

 the males it being non-obligatoiy, e.g., Kockliaiiipton. The 

 operation is very usually but not always i)erforni(d by one ui 

 their own sex (Pennefather River), is sometimes connected with 

 the initiation ceremonies (Bloomfield River, Rockliamptoii, 

 Brisbane) while at others is aWsolutely independent of it (North 

 West Districts, Princess Charlotte Bay). The implement used for 

 the operation is either a pointed piece ot bone or hardened wood. 

 A short soft piece of " white wood " is often used immediately 

 subsequent to, and continuously after, the operation during the 

 next few days to keep the wound o|.en ; it is finally replaced by the 

 proper nose-pin. At the Macdonnell Electric Telegraph Office 

 the wound is said to be dressed with human breast-milk. At 

 Brisbane, the nose was bored in all males, either before or at the 

 kippa (initiation) stage; women's noses were never pierced. A 

 drizzling rainy day was chosen, and the head held in tlie lap of 

 an old man who would keep slapping the victim's ears, and 

 shouting alond while the operation was lieing done — the rain, 

 the slapping, and the shouting being supposed to take the pain 

 away. Another old man — one who had especially long nails on 

 the left thumb and fore-finger was generally chosen — would then 

 catch hold of the septum drag it down, and, just above, pierce 

 through it a pointed skewer. This was next removed, and its 

 place taken by a short (two or three inclies) rounded piece of 

 wood. If the victim proved obstreporous, his hands would be 

 held down. Almost every day, he would go down to the water 

 and, under the surface, slew the stick round and round in the 

 w^o\ind, so as to prevent it sticking. This would continue until 

 the aperture was healed enough to allow of a small flattened 

 beeswax marble being inserted in it, and where it would be 

 allowed to lemair-i until the distended opening was completely 

 sound. The ball gave the nose a very swollen and up-turned 

 a}ipearance (7'. Petrie). 



Nose-pins afford much variety in shape, size, and material. 

 On the PeniH father River the h;df-moon sha] ed j)in (NGG. 



