344 REPORT — 1891. 



Whichever type the ceremonies may follow, the underlying 

 principles are the same, and as an illustration I will shortly 

 note the main features attending the initiations of the tribes 

 in the southern parts of New South Wales, which are practi- 

 cally the same as those which are practised at least from the 

 eastern coast to Wentworth, and from the southern coast far 

 into the Eiverina district. 



It is always convenient to have some term which may be 

 used to define some custom which is general over wide areas, 

 irrespective of the different local names which are given to it. 

 The initiation ceremonies to which I refer are termed in dif- 

 ferent tribes bora, hurbnng, kiiringal, hunau, jeraeil, &c. The 

 first-named, term, bora, applies especially to the ceremonies of 

 the Kameleri tribes. It is a well-known term, having a gene- 

 rally-accepted meaning — and in that sense I propose to use it— 

 as indicating certain ceremonies, just as the word " totem" is 

 now accepted for a certain organization for W'hich each Aus- 

 tralian tribe has its own term. With this understanding, the 

 use of the word bora will be convenient without being mislead- 

 ing. I shall use it in describing, for example, the ceremonies 

 of the Muring tribes of southern New South Wales, with which 

 I have a personal acquaintance. The bora is held when, by 

 the direction of the principal head-man of one section of the 

 tribe, the whole community is collected together. I use the 

 term " community" as comprising those tribes between which 

 there was connubium. 



The tribe, regarded as a community, is divided into two. 

 intermarrying moieties, which are each composed of either an 

 aggregate of totem or an aggregate of local class — the former 

 in cases where the archaic structure of the tribe with maternal 

 descent is still vigorous, the latter where the old organization 

 has broken down and paternal descent has become established. 

 For the former I instance the Wirajuri Tribe in New South 

 Wales, and for the latter the Kumai Tribe in Victoria. The 

 Wirajuri Tribe is divided into two principal classes, with sub- 

 classes and totems having descent in the female line. In the 

 Kumai Tribe the classes and totem have disappeared, leaving 

 no more than traces behind, while the tribe is organized in 

 strongly-marked local classes, which are perpetuated in the 

 male line. In both of these tribes the bora was held at the 

 instance of the head-man of one of the two moieties of the 

 tribe. In the former the head-man sent his mandate by a 

 messenger of his own totem to the head-man of the same 

 totem in the adjoining horde" or adjoining tribe. The message 

 was transmitted through one particular totem, which, in fact, 



* I use the term " horde " when there is maternal descent, and 

 clan " when descent is in the male line. 



