572.(94.2) 119 
VI 
Initiation Rites of the Arunta Tribe, 
Central Australia 
N Natural Science for April of this year (vol. x., pp. 254-263) 
we gave an account of the Horn Expedition to Central Aus- 
tralia, and drew special attention to the valuable anthropological 
observations of Mr F. J. Gillen, This gentleman’s residence of 
fourteen years among the Aruntas of Alice Springs in Central 
Australia has enabled him to associate himself with them on 
terms of the closest intimacy, and he is looked on as a full 
member of the tribe. Since the Horn Expedition, three years 
ago, Professor Baldwin Spencer of Melbourne has been in constant 
correspondence with Mr Gillen, and has twice used the university 
vacation to revisit the district, although the heat during the summer 
months is exceedingly trying to any European. During the summer 
of 1896-7 Professor Spencer undertook the long and difficult 
journey to Alice Springs in order to witness the most mystic rite 
of the Aruntas, and the one of rarest occurrence, namely, the fire- 
ceremony, for which preparations had been made by the tribe for 
eighteen months beforehand. His unique experiences were com- 
municated to the Royal Society of Victoria on his return, early in 
April, and the following interesting account is given in Zhe Aus- 
tralasian for April 17, 1897 :— 
Within a mile or two of the picturesquely-placed telegraph 
station, with its tiny cluster of stone houses, the strange aboriginal 
ceremonies were to be celebrated, and here for four months Pro- 
fessor Spencer made his headquarters. In order to be at hand 
when all the rites were being performed, Mr Gillen and the pro- 
fessor occupied a wurley, built on the sacred ground of the natives, 
and provisions were brought out from the station. Driven to 
desperation by flies, which had to be actually brushed off every 
article of food while it was being put into the mouth, slowly 
grilling under the tropic sun, and choked by the clouds of dust 
which every gentle breeze raised, the two observers had to make 
notes, take photographs, and measure evil-smelling natives for 
scientific purposes, when other employment slackened. The un- 
certainty as to when and where the next ceremony would take 
place kept Mr Spencer and Mr Gillen at all times on the quz vive, 
and on several occasions they had to tear after the blacks at mid-day 
