PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 639 
the earth and now the sky,* they have either uttered the sacred 
name with bated breath, or have used gestures signifying the 
*‘ oreat old man up in the sky.” 
If to this are added the signs for “come here,” “ go away,” 
“there,” or “in that direction,” as indicated by the natural signs 
of beckoning and pointing with the hand, the gesture language 
of the Kurnai is almost exhausted. 
The Woiwurung Kulin, who inhabited the Yarra watershed, 
had a much more extensive code of signs, which are recorded 
herein so far as I have been able to obtain them. 
The tribes of the Barcoo delta have a most extensive system of 
gestures, which, it seems, is able to completely take the place of 
speech. According to Mr. Gason, whose authority on the Dieri 
customs is beyond question, a widow is not permitted to speak 
until the whole of the white clay which forms her “ mourning” 
has come off without assistance. During this time (perhaps for 
months) she communicates by gestures alone. 
I have observed the extensive use of gestures in the tribes to 
the northwards of the Dieri, and have learned from corres- 
pondents that they are also practised to the west of Lake Eyre, 
to the northward of it, at Port Essington, and also in Queens- 
land. It may be assumed with safety that the use of gestures is 
more or less general throughout Australia. 
Some of the statements made by my correspondent, Rev. H. 
Kempe, as to the gesture language used by the Aldolinga tribe 
at the Finke River in South Australia, are both interesting and 
suggestive. I have preferred to give these, with his illustrations 
of their use 77 exfenso, rather than to embody werely the signs 
themselves in the succeeding list. He says that the Aldolinga 
have signs for nearly everything, but that it is difficult to describe 
them, so as to convey the proper meaning to a stranger. They 
have a sign for every animal. Jor instance, for the kangaroo, 
the hand is held palm upwards and the fingers a little bent. 
Movements are made with the hand to imitate the jumping of 
the animal. For an emu the hand is held palm downwards, and 
moved with an undulating motion from left to right. There are 
signs for all the varieties of snakes. For instance, the sign for 
the Ilyuralea (a poisonous one) is made by holding the bent 
fingers upwards and making some horizontal circles with the 
hand. For the carpet snake the hand is also held palm upwards, 
with thumb and fingers sticking up, and the hand is moved by 
successive jerks towards the person. For Patamanina, a poisonous 
snake, the second finger of the right hand is held upwards and 
moved in a vertical circle. For the native turkey, the bird’s 
movements of its head are imitated by the second finger of the 
“right hand. 
* Buniil, or Mamangata, by the Kulin, and Munganngaur, by the Kurnai, mean Our Father. 
