Iiiltiatitiii Ccmiioiiles, Aranfa Tr'ihe. 143 



series of years, the tirst taking place at about the age of ten or 

 twelve years whilst the final and most impressive one — that is 

 the Engwurra —is not passed through until probably the black- 

 fellow has reached the age of at least twenty-five or even 

 thirty. 



In the Ai'unta tribe the ceremonies of initiation are four in 

 number : — 



(1) Painting and throwing the boy up. 



(2) Circumcision or Lartna. 



(3) Subincision or Ariltha. 



(4) The Engwurra or fire ceremony. 



One of the most noticeable features of these ceremonies, from 

 a negative point of view, is the absence of the knocking out of 

 teeth as a general custom associated with the initiatory rites. 

 Amongst many tril)es of the eastern coastal district this forms 

 a prominent feature, but amongst the Central Australian natives 

 whilst it may be performed it has nothing whatever to do with 

 initiation and is in fact practised by women as well as by men, 

 the rite having at the present day no " sacred " significance of 

 any kind. Amongst certain local groups, as for example the 

 natives living in the district now known as Bond Springs, a 

 short distance to the north-east of Alice Springs, it is much 

 more widely practised than elsewhere, but speaking generally 

 the knocking out of teeth is a matter partly of individual and 

 partly of local taste and fashion.^ Possibly the custom may 

 be regarded as one which was at some long-past time prevalent 

 amongst the common ancestors of the central and eastern tribes, 

 but has undergone changes as the tribes Ijecame separated from 

 one another and developed, so far as their customs are concerned, 

 along different lines. In some it has retained its old significance 

 but in others, as for example all those inhabiting the central 

 area, it has lost its earlier meaning, its place has been taken by 

 other 1 ites and now it is merely what may be called a " rudi- 

 mentary custom." 



1 It is, however, attended with the performance of definite ceremonies, and has 

 evidently at one time been of greater importance tliaii it is at present. 



