BY R CLIFFE MACKIE. 113; 



period frees her from the obligation. The burial rites differ 

 according to the several " caste=? " of consanguinity. Some 

 are, put into a hollow tree which is still standing. Others 

 are tied neck and heels and placed face downwards in a 

 moderately deep hole, or they are laid in a shallow trench 

 and covered over with leaves, earth, and long heavy saplings 

 to save them from carrion birds. Dingoes, it is not generally 

 known, will not eat human flesh. A grave was indicated 

 b}^ a single " blaze " on each tree in a circle round the grave. 

 They had neither fear nor reverence with regard to such 

 burial spots, but would not walk over a grave. One obser- 

 vance is purely religious. A dead warrior is put on a 

 wooden frame and placed over a smouldering smoking fire. 

 The mourners rush up to the corpse and rub the oozing grease 

 from the corpse over their own breasts and limbs. This is 

 done to set free and send his soul away so that it will no 

 longer follow them. 



In no instance on the inland waters did cannibalism 

 obtain. The blacks would, however, eat stale eggs, putrid 

 flesh, loathsome insects, etc. 



Like the ancient Egyptians, as seen in hieroglyphs,, 

 they used " message sticks." Certain characters were cut 

 into the message stick to assist the memory of a tribal dele- 

 gate visiting another tribe on public affairs. 



They made effigies — such as a miniature snake — and 

 these were used from the Condamine River to the Murrum- 

 bidgee River at all religious ceremonies. The " Thoroo 

 Mullion " or " bull- roarer " Avas only used at " bora " 

 ceremonies. 



They do not eat the animal whose " totem " they wear, 

 but the rest of the tribe may, as it is only a social " taboo ''- — 

 of breaking which they would feel greatly ashamed if 

 detected. 



They ate the grubs from the wattle trees, also the 

 little yellow " hypoxis " yam. They would not eat the 

 lily root as it made them sick, but they did eat the seed pod 

 of a big Hly in the " Nangram " waterhole. This is a big 

 lily, sometimes blue and sometimes red, which grows about 

 6 miles below Fairy Meadow on the Condamine River. 

 This pod when ripe bursts with a great " pop." They ate 

 a big yam — the " Weeah "■ — which has a running vine. 

 The cattle '^ate^this^ yam out " by eating the vine down 



