42 AUSTRALIA AND THE AUSTRALIANS. 



SORCERY AND WITCHCRAFT. 



The Australian aborigine is a thorough believer in 

 sorcery, with him it is a great motive power. The 

 principal object to which it is applied is taking the 

 lives of enemies. 



They attribute every death of a young or middle- 

 aged person to witchcraft. The first thing necessary 

 is to find out the enemy who has done this. He must 

 be, of course, of another tribe. 



The flight of a bird; the direction assumed by a 

 new fallen leaf ; the track of a snake or lizard in the 

 fresh ashes strewn about the grave of the departed, or 

 any other trivial circumstance, may indicate to them 

 that the enemy is to be found in the tribe immediately 

 to the east or west of them, as the case may be. An 

 attack is made in the night, and one or more victims 

 of their often ill-directed revenge, will suffice to 

 satisfy them for the loss of their friend. 



Sorcery makes them suspect, fear and hate every 

 man not of their own tribe. 



As a general rule they are careful to burn all refuse 

 of food, castaway hair or anything else formerly be- 

 longing to their persons, lest, if it fall into an enemy's 

 hand he may use it as a means whereby he may hurt 

 them with his sorcery. 



