TJie Kurdaitcha Shoes of CenU'al Australia. 67 



and carrying the Urtathurta, or slices. When hidden from view 

 of the camp they put on the shoes, and proceeded towards the 

 enemy's camp. The Kiirdaitcha always led the way, and every 

 precaution was taken to prevent their advance being seen. On 

 arriving at the camp the Kiirdaitcha crept forward alone, holding 

 the sacred stone between his teeth, and (if successful) speared his 

 enemy dead. The medicine man then came up and inserted the 

 head of the lizard which he carried into the wound. The lizard 

 was supposed to drink up the blood, and so to remove evidence 

 of the manner in vvliich the deed had been done. Sometimes the 

 wound was seared to prevent its being recognised as a spear 

 wound. Almost invariably the attack was made at night and, 

 when successful, the Kurdaitcha and medicine man started l)ack 

 at once, halting some distance from their camp to remove and 

 conceal the shoes before going in. If by chance the tracks of the 

 Kurdaitcha were seen they were avoided, and the threatened 

 camp merely kept on the alert. If the Kiirdaitcha himself were 

 seen in the vicinity of the camp he was at once attacked and, if 

 possible, killed. The medicine man who accompanied him was, 

 in all cases, allowed to return uninjured to his camp. 



When the body of a man murdered by a Kurdaitcha was 

 discovered no attempt was made to track the latter, but the 

 medicine man immediately appointed a relative of the murdered 

 man or, failing a relative, one of the same group (a Kiimarra if 

 he were a Kiimarra or a Panunga if he were a Panunga, etc.) 

 to avenge him. This was done by going as a Kurdaitcha in the 

 way described. If the Kurdaitcha were unable to find the 

 particular man he wanted he would spear a man belonging to 

 the same tribe, but this seems to have been of rare occurrence. 



Immediately a Kurdaitcha was seen near a camp the man 

 who detected him informed the others of the fact by saying, 

 " Udnurrah pitchimi" (Udnurrah, a wild dog; pitchiini, is 

 coming). He did not mention the word Kiirdaitcha, but his 

 meaning was understood and preparations were made for an 

 attack on the Udnurrah. In this connection one of the head 

 men of the tribe informed me that, when a blackfellow reported 

 " Udnurrah pitchimi " the medicine man could appoint a Kiir- 

 daitcha who had the power of accosting the other Kurdaitcha 

 and of compelling him to returji to his camp, but I have been 



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