NORTH QUEENSLAND ETHNOGRAPHY — ROTH. 75 



15. The position assumed ilurino; labotir is far from constant. 

 In the hinterland of Princess Charlotte Bay, the woman will 

 either lie on her back with her head raised, or more generally, 

 bend forwards and support herself on her hands and knees ; only 

 if very strong will she take up a sitting position, squatting more 

 or less on her heels. A Bloomtield Kiver Native will assume a 

 kneeling position, her hands and arms supported on a friend's 

 shoulders sitting in front. On the TuUy and on the Pennefather 

 Rivers, areas extremely remote, confinement takes place in the 

 squatting position, with thighs well apart, the body resting on 

 the extended arms behind ; in the former district, the sutf'erer 

 may be assisted by a woman-friend either bending over her from 

 behind and pressing, with her hands at the sides, downwards, 

 forwards, and inwards, or at the front with her arms around the 

 patient's loins pressing them towards herself. In the case of the 

 Pennefather woman, she will stay away from cam[) with her 

 mother-in-law, for three or four weeks. Among the Yaro-inga 

 of the Upper Georgina River, the woman lies on the ground 

 upon her back, with open thighs and drawn-up knees, while the 

 old gin appointed to attend holds her down by the neck and 

 head to prevent her raising herself. The husband, if he be so 

 minded, can take up a position on his wife's left and front 

 whence, a few paces ofl", he can witness the whole of the pro- 

 ceedings. Amongst the Kalkadun (at Quamby) the patient does 

 not return until about eight or ten days after baby is born. A 

 very old man or two may be present during delivery. Having 

 made a fairly shallow excavation in the sandy soil, she sits over 

 this on her shins and knees, with the thighs well apart ; as 

 labour progresses, she either throws her body strongly back- 

 wards, as on the Tully and Pennefather Rivers, or forwards so 

 as to rest her hands on the ground, or, if conveniently situated, 

 may grasp some overhanging branch of a tree. In the intervals 

 between the pains a thick cord may be tied pretty firmly round 

 her waist to assist in " pushing the child out," while another old 

 woman will take up mouthfuls of water from a vessel and spit 

 them over the distended aI>domen, upon which a sort of massage 

 may also be performed. The genital passages are never touched 

 by anyone, and the baby, without any guidance, is allowed to 

 fall into the shallow depression below, 



14. The navel-string, before the mother shifts her position, is 

 next held, close to its attachment to the child, between the flats 

 of both hands of one of the old gins, and briskly rolled back- 

 wards and forwards until a very marked twist is visible, when it 

 is cut to a length of about five or .six inches. Similarly the 

 after-birth is allowed to fall into the cavity where it is either 



