Art. XVI. — Notes on Certain of the Initiation Ceremonies 

 of tlie Ariinta Tribe, Central Australia. 



By Baldwin Spencrk, M.A., C.M.Z.S., 



University of Melbovxi-ne, 

 AN"n 



F. J. GiLLRN, 



Sub-Protector of Aborigines, Alice Springs, South Australia. 



[Eead 11th November, 1S97.] 



In a previous ooninuiuication to this Society we have already 

 dealt with the Engwurra ceremony as performed by the Arunta 

 tribe.^ In tlie report of the work of the Horn Expedition to 

 Central Australia one of us has also given a short account of 

 certain of the initiation ceremonies, a more detailed description 

 of whicli is included in the present paper. It nmst, however, 

 be understood that the details of the ceremonies vary to a 

 certain extent in different localities even within the limits 

 of the one tribe, and the following account may be regarded as 

 including the more important ones which are characteristic 

 of the various ceremonies as they are conducted in particular 

 localities. 



It may be said that every Australian native, with possibly 

 rare exceptions as in the case of the W6tjo-balluk tribe of the 

 AVimmera district, Victoria, described by INIr. Howitt," has, in 

 the normal condition of the tribe, to pass through certain 

 ceremonies of initiation before he is admitted to the secrets of 

 the tribe and regarded as a fully developed meml)er of it. 



In the case of the tribes inhabiting the east and south-eastern 

 coastal districts of the continent the ceremonies appear to be 

 entirely distinct from those of the tribes of the central area 

 amongst whom they are very elaborate and spread over a long 



1 Proc. H. S. Viet., vol. x. (New Series), Pt. I., p. 17. 

 ~ Journal of Anthrop. Inst. London, May, ISS.'J, p. 301. 



