and put it in the wound. Ttis is left till it begins to fall off, 

 when the flesh is found to have grown considerably above the 

 surface of the original wound, sometimes to the extent of half 

 an inch ; it is then allowed to heal. There is no fixed rule as 

 to how many cuts are to be made on the different parts of the 

 body, but is left to the option and fancy of each individual 

 person. 



The septum of the nose is also pierced, but this is done at a 

 very early age ; it is done for the purpose of wearing a bone or 

 stick through it as an ornament, but is only worn till they 

 become middle-aged, and never by old people. The only reason 

 assigned for this custom is — giving their own words — " to make 

 young girls and boys look nice." 



A singular custom prevails amongst the Larrakeah, "Woolnah, 

 Woolwougah, and Irambal tribes, inhabiting the neighbourhood 

 of Port Darwin, Port Patterson, and Daly Eiver. It is to 

 remove the first two joints of the index finger of the right 

 hand of some of the young females when of the age of about 

 two years. There is nothing compulsory about this custom or 

 rite, but is decided by the parents whether it is to be done or 

 not. It is generally believed that females on whom this 

 operation is performed, when grown up, are able to find plenty 

 of yams and other food for their husbands and families. 



The operation is performed by making a ligature of large 

 spider webs found in the jungles, which is tightened daily till 

 the joint drops off, when it is buried ; the wound is then 

 covered over with chewed leaves of the native plum tree, and 

 in about one month the flesh is grown over the bone and the 

 wound healed. The leaves of this native plum tree, when 

 chewed and placed on a wound, seems to have the property of 

 promoting granulation, for after the finger has fallen off the 

 whole surface of the joint is exposed, and in a month's time it 

 is nicely covered over and healed. 



DISEASES AXD CUEES. 



Smallpox. — The disease most dreaded by the natives is small- 

 pox — for which each tribe has, of course, a different name. It 

 makes great havoc among the tribes that get infected. The 

 last time this disease made its aj)pearance on this coast is, as 

 far as I can judge and ascertain, about twenty years ago. 

 According to the tradition of a native living at Port Darwin 

 named " Mangminone," alias Mr. Knight, about 25 years of 

 age, he had the smallpox when a boy of about five years (this 

 man is deeply pitted all over the face), and sometime before 

 the white people arrived at Escape Cliffs — the Hon. B. T. 

 Pinniss's expedition in 1864. The disease broke out in the dry 

 season, when the natives burned the grass. Old and young 



