176 Manners and Customs of the Australian Natives, 



apparent in their manner of hunting and dividing- the game. 

 There have been transmitted to them^ by their early ancestors, 

 several short rhymes of two lines, which now are known to 

 the adults only, and these, on pursuing an animal, or when 

 on the point of spearing it, they constantly repeat with great 

 rapidity. The literal meaning of these cabalistic rhymes is 

 totally unknown to them, and they are quite unable to give 

 an explanation of them, but their object, and the power which 

 they faithfully believe them to possess, is either to strike with 

 blindness the animal which they are pursuing, or to create in it 

 such a feeling of security and carelessness, that it cannot perceive 

 its enemies, or so to weaken it that it cannot effect its escape. 



The general principle, with regard to the division of the 

 game, is, that the men eat the males, the women the females, 

 and the children the small animals ; but since there is no rule 

 without its exception, so also in this case the men claim 

 the right also to eat the females and small animals, while the 

 women and children must abide by the established rules ; the 

 common kangaroo rat, however, they are all, without any 

 distinction, allowed to eat. 



As a fixed prohibition, the Avallaby, in the Parnkalla lan- 

 guage called "yaiTidni," and the two species of bandicoot, 

 "kurkulli'' and "yartini," dare not, on any account, be eaten by 

 young lads or girls, as, according to their opinion ihej would, 

 with the latter, cause premature puberty, and with regard to 

 the former give to their beards a brownish appearance, in- 

 stead of its becoming a jet-black colour, as it ought to do. 

 Mr. Schurmannhashad frequent opportunities to satisfy him- 

 self of the strict observance of this law. Lizards are considered 

 the proper food for young girls whose puberty they wish to 

 hasten on, and snakes for women to make them bear children. 



A huntsman's life, under any circumstances, is a migratory 

 one, but it becomes the more so in this country where Nature's 

 products are obtainable only according to the season, and in 

 districts far off one from the other. 



On this account the Port Lincoln blacks are obliged at 

 times to resort to the seacoast for catching fish, at others to 

 rove over hill and dale in pursuit of game and roots, and dur- 

 ing the unproductive months they are forced, for the smaller 

 kinds of game, to roam through the whole country, some parts 

 of which are covered Avith an almost impenetrable small scrub, 

 and other parts complete deserts, all the time having to 

 contend against a dreadful heat, rendered almost insup- 

 portable by the reflection of the rays of the sun, and of the 



