14 INITIATION TO RIGHTS OF MANHOOD. 



style with an individual tribe,— at the same time 

 something- like uniformity was noticed among* the 

 Katchialaig-as, nearly all of whom had, in addition 

 to the horned breast mark, t^^'o or three long" trans- 

 verse scars on the chest, which the other tribes did 

 not possess. In the remaining* people the variety 

 of marking* was such that it appeared fair to con- 

 sider it as being' reg-ulated more by individual 

 caprice than by any fixed custom. Many had a 

 simple two-horned mark on each breast, and w^e 

 sometimes saw among- them a clumsy imitation of 

 the elaborate shoulder mark of the islanders. 



The custom of underg-oing* a certain mysterious 

 ceremony prior to being- admitted to the privileg-es 

 of manhood, supposed to be an institution peculiar 

 to the Australians, is found among- the Kowrareg-as^ 

 but whether it extends throughout Torres Strait is 

 uncertain. This initiation is not at Cape York and 

 Muralug- accompanied by the performance either 

 of cu'cumcision or the knocking- out of a tooth, as in 

 many parts of Australia. The boys, usually three 

 or four in number, are chased about in the bush 

 during- the day by some of the men decked out with 

 feathers and other ornaments, and at nig-ht retire to 

 the men's camp, for, during- the whole time of their 

 novitiate— or about a month — they must on no 

 account be seen by a w oman ; in fact, as Gi'om 

 informed me, a woman coming- upon these keriiele 

 — as the}'' are called — no matter how accidentall}', 

 would be immediately put to death. When all is 



