26 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



The greater part of the Engwurra was occupied with 

 performing these sacred ceremonies of the totems, whereby a 

 knowledge of the doings of the alcheringa ancestors was 

 communicated to the younger men, and the sacred churinga 

 some of which belonged to them, others to more recent ancestors 

 and others to still living individuals, were carefully examined and 

 explained. 



After about three months, during which time the younger men 

 had been living mainly in the Engwurra camp, an important 

 change in the proceedings took place. The young men were, in 

 parties of thi'ee and four, put under the charge of certain of the 

 older men who had already been through the ceremony and 

 received collectively the name of Ilpougivurra^ a word which 

 implies an absence of certain forms of decoration, such as grease, 

 and had their foreheads and the hole through the nasal septum 

 decorated with twigs of a pai'ticular species of Eremophila. 

 Between each young man and the elder man in charge of him 

 the relationship of Apniurra was established, that is, the young- 

 man might not speak to, or in the presence of, the older one. 



Daily, just at sunrise, the Ilpongwurra were sent in a body out 

 of tlie Engwurra camp under charge of two or three old men 

 and to the accompaniment of the loud whirring and booming of 

 churinga or bullroarers. It was now their duty to remain out in 

 the bush securing food for the old men, to whom it was In-ought 

 in at night time. 



Now also began the fire ordeals which were of three forms. 

 The first took place in the main women's camp at sunrise or 

 sunset or both. All the Bultharra and Panunga women in one 

 spot and all the Purula and Kumarra in another, gathered 

 together and, each party having made a fire, awaited the approach 

 of the Ilpongwurra, who were di'iven towards them in a body by 

 older men, jDrotecting themselves as well as they could with shields 

 and boughs of Eremophila from the burning grass and boughs 

 which the women threw over their heads. 



After having been thus treated by each group of women 

 separately, the Ilpongwurra turned and fled to the Engwurra 

 camp, near to which the women, of course, dare not come. 



The second tire ordeal took place out in the bush, and was 

 repeated on two separate days. The older men made a large hot 



