PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 581 



In one expedition to Pender Bay, near Cape I'Ev^que, I observed 

 natives in preparation for a corrobboree using a green color for the 

 decoration of their bodies. This is a vegetable matter derived from 

 the young leaves of eucalyptus, which are masticated, the resulting 

 liquid giving a brilliant green color. That is the only real vegetable 

 color ever observed amongst the Australians. 



The customs of circumcision and subincision are practised over the 

 whole north-west. The subincision is properly an Australian custom, the 

 reason for which until now has never been explained. The suggestion 

 that this peculiar mutilation is intended to restrict procreation has been 

 successfully contradicted by Dr. W. E. Eoth. (10) 



In the countries where the practice is in vogue every male is in- 

 trocised, and the women must have undergone a corresponding ordeal, 

 which has been elsewhere described. As Roth clearly explains, this 

 mutilation of the male does not necessarily prevent fertilisation. (11) 



In these remarks the idea is given, for the first lime, of the 

 introcised man as an artificially made woman. 



During my stay in the Broome district (November-December, 

 1905, May-June, 190G) I received information of the real significance 

 of subincision. which at first I refu^sprl to accent as correct. 



Constat in agro qui Broome uocatur iuuenes eosque pueros qui 

 uel iam facti sint puberes uel mox futuri, uidelicet decem nati annos 

 usque ad quattuordecim, mutuo inter sese masturbari solere. Sacer- 

 dotes autem Christiani qui apud Beagle Bay habitare solent, ita in 

 rem omnium turpissimam ac foedissimam et inuecti sunt et inuehuntur 

 ut uix sani sit negare rem ita fieri. Quippe in tribu Niel-Niel nomi- 

 nata uiri puerique inter sese quiddam paciscuntur eique pacto etiam 

 lingua sua possunt nomen dare. Nam et uiri, sine initiati siue pene 

 incisi, nomine Wamba, et pueri, priusquam initiandi ritus facti sunt, 

 nomine Walebel uocantur : quod nomen Walebel negatiuam habere 

 significationem syllaba ' le ' interposita satis demonstrat. 



Ille uero qui nomine Wamba utitur suum quisque Walebel aut 

 habet aut habuit ea condicione ut amicus amico uictum paret cotti- 

 dianum : quae duorum marium condicio non dissimilis uidetur esse 

 matrimonio cuidam quod post certum tempus possit dissolui, quippe 

 quae usque eo maneat donee puer, pene incisus, noriien et ipse habeat 

 Wamba. 



Me quidem percontantem quaenam ratio sit inter Wamba et 

 Walebel masturbandi, quidam ex indigenis, homo non insulsus, qui 

 apud East Kimbeiiey erat natus, certiorem fecit, rem ipse imitatus : 

 pueri profecto penem cum primum erigi coeptus sit in uiriJis penis 

 foramen, quod ad id auctum usque ad intimam scroti partem pateat, 

 inseri solere ; puerum humi supinum iacentem uiri pene manibus 

 •comprehenso (quasi extrema digitalis tegumenti parte frices digitum), 

 suum circumfricare penem usque eo dum utrique effundatur semen. 



(10) Roth,— Ethnol. Studies N.W. C. Queensland, 1897. 

 (11) Cf. W. E. Roth, I.e., p. 179. 



