1^45 



women supply the music by singing a kind of marching tune, and 

 at the same time by striking one piece of hard wood against 

 another. A few old men also keep time by striking one 

 boomerang against another. Their dances are never of the 

 nature of a religious rite, nor do they in them imitate any 

 animal. Some of them are very disgusting. 



Magic and Divination. 



126. They assert that they are able to produce rain and 

 practise the following method : — An old man, generally the chief 

 or some one deputed by him, strolls quietly away from the camp, 

 singing in a low humming kind of tone " Gnabya, Gnabya ; 

 Wyarrie, Wyarrie" ("Gnabya" is the spirit or ghost; "Wyarrie" 

 is water). He then goes into a waterhole, whilst muttering the 

 above words, dives and stays under water a considerable time, 

 still repeating the same words ; he then strolls back to the camp, 

 with head bowed down, and never venturing once to look up. On 

 his arrival in the camp, he declares when the rain is to come, and 

 it very often does come. They will not attempt to predict or 

 make rain until there is almost a certainty of a shower. If a 

 heavy storm comes on, and they have had no hand in it, they 

 declare that some chief of a distant tribe has sent it ; and if they 

 should not require rain at that time, it will probably cause a 

 hostile meeting, unless the chief of the suspected tribe says it was 

 some other chief further on that made the rain. This, however, 

 he seldom does, as he is only too proud of the distinction of being 

 able to annoy his enemies, and will rather fight than deny the 

 impeachment. They also profess to be able to stop the rain, but 

 I know, to my great discomfort, that in this they are not to be 

 relied upon. I was out with a young blackfellow on one occa- 

 sion, when a heavy storm was seen approaching. I said, " You 

 think it rain come up, Charley 1 " He said, " My word, I think 

 it big fellow come up. Me kill 'im ? '' I said, " Yes, you kill 

 'im." He dismounted, and gathered a wisp of straw, and after 

 making water on it, shook it in the face of the approaching 

 storm. He then mounted and we rode on, and in about ten 

 minutes we were thoroughly drenched ! I chaffed him about 

 killing the rain, and he was sulky all day. 



127. There are no professional magicians, sorcerers, doctors 

 medicine men, or witches among them. Some of the old men 

 profess to be able to cure diseases (fide 50). 



128. A few of the old men ai-e selected to attend to any one 

 that is ill, but as a rule Nature is the only attendant. Only a 

 few days since there was a terrible tight between the gins, which 



was thus brought about : — " Bindawadgie" is the possessor of 

 three or four gins (females). " Ghepangarra" stole one of them 



