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not ? They fear death ; if discovered, it might cost them their 

 life. If one attempts to deprecate the tjurunya of the old, it 

 may happen one day that the traducer is killed for this offence, a 

 oase of the kind having occurred in the MacDonnell Ranges only 

 a few years ago. The old one whose tjurunga it is explains its 

 import and meaning to the uninitiated, and what is it % All the 

 festivals refer exclusively to eating or to the supply of food, and 

 it is pointed out whence the various objects as emu, fishes, (fee, 

 are derived ; in what number and size they formerly existed, tfec, 

 which forms also the burden of their songs. These festiv^als serve 

 as reminders, and extol the past, conjoined with prayers that 

 these animals, <fec., may again appear in the same numbers, of 

 similar size, &c. 



According to the nature of the tjurunya is the ornamentation 

 of the body; thus for a fish festival the body is painted with fish- 

 like figures, although the figures may be the same for several. 

 The characteristic behaviour and cries of the respective animals is 

 mimicked by the dancers, of which art they are really masters. 

 Sometimes it happens that one or other does not celebrate his 

 festival in his own district, but goes to another with his people, 

 and holds it there that the other people may become acquainted 

 with it. The preparation occupies them usually for days, some- 

 times for weeks, the chosen spot being cleared of all rubbish until 

 it looks like a tennis-court. The head-dresses and the painting of 

 the body requires also much time. 



When everything is ready, the festival commences towards the 

 evening. Women and children hurry towards the spot, and sit 

 down together in a mass at one end of the arena, the men sitting 

 in front of them. The chief old man and the festive dancers sit 

 apart at a little distance. The singing, conducted by the on- 

 lookers, begins. One or two dancers then step forward and 

 execute a dance, consisting in keeping time to the singing bv 

 vigorous stamping with the feet, endeavoring at the same time to 

 imitate the peculiarities of the particular animal that lends its 

 name to the festival. After a while a pause is made, succeeded 

 by the performance of another, and thus it goes on throughout 

 the whole night, and for three or four nights in succession, while 

 they rest and sleep by day. During the day the Avomen have to 

 provide the food for eating, and on this account such festivals are 

 always held at a season when some article of food is to be had in 

 abundance and within the immediate neighbourhood. 



The following are a few of the native songs to show their form 

 and contents : — 



1. ^^ Titjatitjana jala ramanal^^ 

 " Large Emu, many tracks ! " 



