PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 505 
the hip (in a comparatively dangerous situation), one in 
the wrist of a gin (boomerang wound), and in the forearm. 
Women come into the circle and egg their husbands and 
relatives on; they bite their spears and sticks, strike and 
throw them on the ground, and will fight with members 
(female) of the opposite faction. They are using their 
tongues all the time, and with far greater effect than the 
men. The din is something terrible while the tournament 
lasts. 
Every ten minutes or quarter of an hour or so there 
is a rest; the spears and boomerangs may be collected 
and returned to their owners, the intervals, after once the 
prun has originally properly started, being of short dura- 
tion. So, again, if a person is badly injured, there is a 
short cessation of hostilities (while he is being carried off 
the ground to safe quarters), but only to be immediately 
resumed. . 
Fair play is certainly recognised in these encounters, 
and supposing only a few members of a mob turn up at 
the prun, and they are getting worsted by a stronger force, 
a third mob (even perhaps already at enmity with them) 
will come to the assistance of and join forces with the 
weaker. 
Thus they go on fighting until dark, when more friendly 
relations are resumed, the waru-waru and other corroborees 
are performed, and all goes well until the next morning, 
when, just as the sun rises, they have another final bout ; 
and, as soon as the fighting is over, they all disperse to their 
respective homes. Evidently the prun both helps to settle 
old scores and at the same time promotes social intercourse 
and amusement. 
I have had two opportunities of watching these pruns— 
one from the time it commenced until dark—and saw up- 
wards of 200 savages congregated. On the second occasion, 
the Tully blacks had determined upon taking the life of one 
of the Clump Point boys, for the following reasons:—On 
the previous Sunday’s prun he had thrown a spear high up 
against a tree, whence it had glanced sharply downwards, 
imbedding itself in the neck of an old man (Tully native) 
with fatal results. The unfortunate thrower of the spear 
happened to be a “ doctor,’ and nothing would satisfy the 
deceased’s tribesmen but that it was some of his witchcraft 
which was responsible for the death. Mr. E. Brooke, who 
was with me at the time, did his best to explain that it was 
_a pure accident; but it was no good. After taking sides, 
the fight commenced amongst these excited savages, with the 
