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rights as regards each other, only those families which are inter- 

 related being more intimately united amongst themselves. But 

 even among the related ones such murders may occur, as is shown 

 by the following incident. There live here two distantly related 

 families, the head of one of them having a second wife, who comes 

 from the MacDonnell Ranges, who is rarely in this locality. Last 

 year the old and solitary wife of the head of the other family 

 went to the MacDonnell Ranges, as was her custom, and was 

 beaten so severely by the other woman and her relations, that she 

 succumbed to her wounds on her way back. For what reason ?' 

 The daughter of the aggressor, by another long since deceased 

 husband, had died shortly before. The old people and the 

 sorcerers concluded that she had been killed by the son of this 

 old woman by means of witchcraft. As this son was blind, and 

 always stays here, they could not easily get hold of him, so the 

 mother, or next of kin, had to sufier and die instead. The hus- 

 band of this murderess is extremely irritated about it, and would 

 like to go and punish his wife by beating her as severely. He 

 has only abstained from doing this because we placed the conse- 

 quences of such action clearly before him, namely, that he would 

 beat her till she died, and then her relative would avenge her by 

 killing him. It is a sad case where there is no proper govern- 

 ment. It is only in a few instances that the authority of the 

 aboriginal government can be perceived. Thus, when a new camp 

 is to be pitched, or a settlement formed, the old people indicate 

 the spot. Also, in the event of dissensions, an order or rule is 

 obeyed preventing these from ending in murder, for under the in- 

 fluence of violent anger the natives have no self-control. Con- 

 sequently as soon as two men become angry and proceed to high 

 words, the others hasten to interpose themselves fully armed, to 

 conciliate as much as possible, and even to part the disputants 

 forcibly. As a result, the disturbance ends, usually in such cases, 

 in the antagonists only inflicting wounds with knives or spears 

 in the thick flesh of the thighs. Afterwards, the one who com- 

 menced using violent means, or, if it has not gone so far, the one 

 who started the quarrel has to leave the place, and is practically 

 exiled for a certain period. Knowing this rule, the guilty person 

 starts voluntarily the following morning, without the least oppo- 

 sition, and when he returns everything is forgiven and forgotten. 



There is also a law or rule in respect of widows. A widow 

 must marry the younger brother of the deceased. The latter 

 never objects, for men are always pleased to have as many wives 

 as they can get, but it happens sometimes that the widow is not 

 willing, and does not like the man. However, the knirabata and 

 nganknra, old men and the sorcerers, try to enforce the rule by 

 argument and persuasion, and, if this be ineflective, by scolds 



