848 KEPORT— 1888. 



return privately. A cocoanut is broken over the heads of the pair, and the milk 

 sprinkled upon them. After this there are periodical feasts for a considerable 

 time, the friends of the bride entertaining the friends of the bridegroom and 

 vice versa. 



When a man marries a second wife after the death of the first, the female 

 relatives of the dead wife gather together and are permitted to do as much damage 

 to his property as they can. 



A man may have as many wives as he can purchase, but if he cannot afford to 

 buy one, and his credit is low, he may have to remain single. 



2. Totem Clans and Star Worship. By George St. Clair, F.G.S. 



The author defines totem as the crest of a clan, and enumerates briefly the 

 features of the institution. The origin of Totemism is confessedly obscure, the latest 

 views are unsatisfactory ; the author has gathered evidence in favour of a new 

 view, and asks to be heard. 



Beginning with a small community which has its camp to guard, and perhaps 

 its religious tabernacle, let us suppose that the eldest son of every mother is liable 

 to military service. The camp is divided, say into four quarters, and the young 

 men serve in turn for a fourth part of the year. In larger tribes the division may 

 be into twelve, the year being already divided into months. The religion of the 

 tribe is astral, like that of the ancient Chaldeans, and the watchers know what 

 constellation is uppermost in tlie first month, and which in the second month, and 

 so on. If the first band finds the Bull Constellation in high heaven in the dead 

 of night, during its month, it will reverence the Bull ; the young men will return 

 to their tents at the month's eud and speak of the Bull ; they will remembai' that 

 when the Bull is in the ascendant again they will have to do duty again ; and they 

 will come to be known as the Bulls. For the like reason others become goate and 

 scorpions, or kangaroos and blacksuakes, according to the names of the star groups 

 with different peoples. 



The Bulls tattoo themselves with the bull crest, and carry it as a military 

 ensign. The goats, the kangaroos, &c., do the like. 



The Bull Constellation, or the Bull's-eye Star Aldebaran, is the special go<l of 

 the clan, and is to be reverenced. The bull quadruped becomes the earthly 

 representative of the starry deity, and is not to be used as food. 



The members of the Bull clan being now known as the Bulls, or designated by 

 the equivalent expression, ' Sons of the Bull,' the Bull is said to be their father ; 

 the father of the clan, their great ancestor. 



But no sooner is the original tribe thus divided into twelve clans than tLe 

 danger of disruption is perceived, and to counteract it, the rule or custom vf 

 exogamy is introduced. 



The author meets the preliminary objection that barbarous tribes would not 

 be advanced enough to frame a religious system upon an astronomical basis ; and 

 then proceeds to adduce evidence in support of every step of the process. He finds, 

 in reviewing the number of clans in a tribe, a preponderance of the number four 

 corresponding to the quarters of the year, and the number twelve corresponding to 

 the months, during which service would be performed by the clans in rotation. 

 He shows it to be a natural arrangement that totem clans should be found localised 

 in nomes or districts. The curious connection between totemism and the trans- 

 migration of souls is explained by the Egyptian belief that the soul, after death, 

 goes the way of the sun, and consequently passes through the zodiacal constellations, 

 one after another, and becomes identified with each in turn. 



This stellar origin of totemism goes far to account for the widespread character 

 of the institution. Measures for self-defence would be adopted instinctively by all 

 tribes. The heavens are spread before all, and the moon everywhere divides the 

 year into months. 



If the theory be true, it not only explains things which have appeared 

 mysterious, but it indicates fresh lines of inquiry. These are briefly specified in 

 the paper. 



