BY £. PALMER, ESQ., M.L.A. Wi 
those of a horse, eyes burning bright as stars, and their nails 
were long and sharp as the claws of an eagle hawk. In other 
respects they resembled the blacks themselves; there were both 
men and women amongst their number ; they spoke as they did, 
and subsisted in the same manner. The men amongst these spirits 
invariably appeared with a crooked stick in their hands—not a 
boomerang, but a straight stick with one end crooked or bent. 
This stick the blacks designate Wommolongo. The women 
carried yam sticks only. These spirits do not hold communica- 
tion with the ordinary members of the tribe, only with the old 
doctor men, such as Plungren. They are said to leave their 
graves at night, and return to them again when dawn approaches; 
and some of the blacks moreover believe that they frequent old 
camping places and fires. The blacks do not regard the spirits 
of former members of their own tribe with any fear, but look 
upon them as generally beneficient, though the Limbeen of 
hostile tribes are sometimes thought to use the Wommolongo for 
their destruction, and certain localities supposed to be fre- 
quented by these evil spirits are avoided. In fact they are good 
fellows, and amongst other services, perform in the presence of 
the old men corroborees and dances, and sing songs, which these 
old men subsequently repeat to the tribe. The spirits themselves, 
- when about to communicate with these old men, like strangers do 
not at once boldly approach them, but are restrained as if by 
some sense of fear. First one will advance; whilst his associates 
hold aloof, squatting down some distance off, or resting in the 
branches of trees. At length, confidence having been established 
and this reluctance to approach overcome, the other limbeen jar- 
golongs may be heard jumping down from the trees or seen 
advancing. After this intercourse with the old men has 
finished, the latter return to the camp, there to repeat to their 
followers the many lessons which they themselves have learnt 
from these spirits.* 
* As an instance of the prevalence of this belief in spirits amongst 
