970 REPORT—1890. 
They possess a belief in good and evil spirits, and have a dread of the Wicked One. 
They have a strict sense of right and wrong, and their laws are very exact, many 
deeds of guilt being punished by death. They have religious ceremonies, which 
are always held in secret, in cleared portions of the scrub, called ‘ boori’ grounds, 
which they hold very sacred, guarding them with great care; and when once the 
foot of a white person is placed on them they lose all sanctity. 
4. Notes on the Aborigines of Australia. By J. W. Fawcurr. 
This paper traverses some statements made by Mr. Carl Lumholtz, at last 
year’s meeting of the British Association, concerning the Australian aborigines. 
‘Of a written language there is no trace.’ So says Mr. Lumholtz. The Austra- 
lian aborigines communicate with each other by means of short pieces of wood, on 
which certain symbols are cut. When these symbols are put together, they form 
messages, just in the same manner as letters are put together to form words. 
These pieces of wood are termed ‘ talking-sticks,’ and are not unfrequently sent by 
the chief of one tribe to the chief of another, many miles distant. The symbols 
consist chiefly of zigzag lines and long and short incisions. -[Rubbings of two of 
these ‘ talking-sticks’ were exhibited. | 
Mr. Lumholtz next goes on to state that the aborigines are polygamistic, 
This is, however, not generally the case: a chief may, and does, but not often, 
possess more than one wife ; but when such is the case, it certainly makes him no 
ticher, as Mr. Lumholtz avers. 
‘T found no chiefs on the Herbert River,’ says Mr. Lumholtz. This is a very 
erroneous statement, for the tribes on that river, as elsewhere, do possess chiefs, and 
one of them was personally known to the writer. 
Mr. Lumholtz next states that ‘the Australian black cannot live under civili- 
sation,’ He could never have seen them under such conditions, or he would not 
have so stated. They do live, and are living, under civilisation, and, the more 
they become civilised, the better they are: some of them are engaged as school- 
teachers and missionaries in New South Wales, and several of them have their 
names on the Parliamentary list of voters, thus having the same rights and 
privileges as white people. 
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5. 
The following Papers and Report were read :— 
1. On the Yourouks of Asia Minor. By J. Taxopore Ben. 
Character of country inhabited by the Yourouks. Cilicia Aspera, formerly 
inhabited by the Cilician pirates. 
Visit to the Corycian caves on the first plateau above the sea. Temple of 
Corycian Jove. Opinion of the nomads on this cave. The Olbian cave. 
Nomad Yourouks employ tombs and ruins of departed Greeks as houses. The 
hovels which they build, and their idea of the four seasons, Difference in the 
country since the days of civilisation. 
The Yourouks in their tents. Mode of life and occupations. Their wooden 
implements, musical instruments, beehives, &c. The honesty of the Yourouks. 
Ideas of treasure-hunting. 
The flocks. Description of the sheep. The Toulon camel. Substitutes for 
coffee and tobacco. 
Absence of religion amongst them. Their sacred trees. 
Polygamy. Betrothals and marriage festivities, Wife stealing. 
Diseases. Their luxuries. 
Dealings with the outer world. Contracts with rich Greeks. .The tinker, 
cattle and wool merchants, &c., visit them periodically. 
