in particular of the Port Lincoln District. 187 



The ol3Ject of this formula, handed down to them from their 

 forefatlicrs, and, as it appears, void of any meaning or sense 

 soever, is to deaden the pain, and to prevent any dangerous 

 cft'ects of this dreadful laceration. The operation being con- 

 cluded, the young men are raised up and their eyes opened, 

 when the first object they perceive arc two men, who, stamp- 

 ing their feet and biting their beards, run towards them 

 hurling the " witarna" with great vehemence, and apparently 

 intending to throM' it at their heads, but who, when sufficiently 

 near, satisfy themselves with putting the cord of the instru- 

 ment rovmd the necks of one after the other. 



In commemoration of their having passed through this 

 trial, the Wilyalkinyes are honored with various marks of 

 distinction, as, for instance, they are presented with a belt 

 spun of human hair ; they wear a tight l^andage round each 

 of their upper arms, also a cord of opossum hair round their 

 neck, the ends dropping down on their back, to be fastened 

 to the belt ; further, a bunch of green leaves fastened above 

 their part virilis, and at last they blacken their faces, arms, 

 and breasts. 



As a Avind up, all present press once more around them in 

 ordei' to give their last good advice for their future conduct, 

 the chief drift of which, as far as Mr. Schurmann has 

 been able to make out, consists in the following — to avoid 

 cpiarrels and disputes, not to indulge in talking loud, and to 

 keep off from the Avomen. The two last of these injunctions 

 are strictly followed, and for this purpose they live day and 

 night separated from the other blacks, and talk in a subdued 

 tone only until after the expiration of foiir or five months, when 

 they are relieved from this constraint. This absolution is 

 cftected by tearing off from the necks of the Wilyalkinyes 

 the opossum cord, the symbol of taciturnity, and sprinkling 

 the upper body with blood in the manner which has been 

 described above. They are henceforth considered as initiated 

 into all the secrets, and fit to be admitted to the enjoymeiit 

 of all the privileges of grown-up men. 



William von Blandowski, late curator of the Melbourne 

 Museum of Natural History, mentions in his " Personal 

 Observations of Victoria,^^ p. 23, a custom of the Goulburn 

 tribe which is interesting enough to give in full. " Upon a 

 youth arriving at manhood, he is conducted by three of the 

 leaders of his tribe into the recesses of the Avoods, where he 

 remains tivo days and one night. Being furnished with a 

 piece of wood, he knocks out two of the tcctli of his upper 



