466 A. a Stone: 



it was taken out, dried earefuUy, and placed away in the doc- 

 tor's (" Barngnull ") poison-bag ("■ Neilgnoonye '). Should, 

 however, the rain be required to stop very soon, the stone or 

 charrn was dried quickly by the tire. 



The Danger stone ('" Yatching werrip werrip '"') or Kutch 

 Kutch laar, is a smooth, oblong, flat blue pebljle, and was used 

 similarly to the Scottish liery cross. It was passed quickly from 

 person to person, and always pointing in the direction of the 

 danger, until all the members had been warned of the impend- 

 ing danger. 



The Marriage or Betrothal stone or charm (" Wooien laar ") 

 is a smooth, flat, blue pebble, smaller than the above, which 

 was (after a proper examination of the female candidate for 

 matrimony) given to her with the direction that it was to be 

 placed in the armpit, and kept there by opossum skin bands 

 until the consummation of the marriage. 



The stone or charm to keep away evil spirts ('" Jarrung jar- 

 rung ") varies greatly in character from round pebbles to flat 

 ones, and of any colotu". They were buried with the corpse 

 (" Jaark,"' meaning hollow, no life left). I have two that sepa- 

 rated three corpses, one an oblong, dark, smooth pebble, 

 originally possibly a pounding stone, the other round, smooth, 

 flat, and yellowish in colour, and of no possible material use. 



The curlew S'tones or charms (" Moorpen whillo "') w^ere sup- 

 posed to have been smoothed in the stomach of a curlew or 

 stone plover. 



The oath stones or charms (" Yere laar ") were of two sizes, 

 and very irregular, couqjosed of quartz, iron pyrites, etc. The 

 larger was for the male and the smaller for taking the word or 

 evidence of the female. 



The doctor or wizard (" Barngnull "") of the tribe would wrap 

 the stone round w^ith native silk or thread, leaving one end 

 loose. The suspect was forced to hold the packet at the height 

 of the mouth, and reply to questions asked. After the mut- 

 tering of incantations the suspect would be seized by the 

 wizard, or doctor, who would bite him and pretend, after a long 

 process of sucking, to draw out of the man's body a small 

 piece of stone, which he would spit out and show as proof posi- 

 tive of the culprit's guilt. 



