38 AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES. 



CHAPTER XII. 



CHILDEEN. 



A WOMAN near her confinement is called a ' moisgorm,' and must stay at home, 

 in her husband's wuurn, as much as possible. When she has occasion to quit 

 the wuurn, any person who meets her must leave the path, and keep away 

 from her. 



During her confinement her husband lives elsewhere ; the neighbouring 

 wuurns are temporarily deserted ; and everyone is sent away from the vicinity 

 except two married women, who stay with her. Should she not have a mother 

 to attend on her, a professional woman, ' gneein ' — two of whom are generally 

 attached to each tribe — is sent for, and compelled to nurse her and the baby till 

 she is able to attend to it, and to resume the performance of her domestic 

 duties. In return for these services the nurse is kindly treated and well fed, 

 and generally pi-esented with an opossum rug. The sick woman is not assisted 

 in any way, and everything is left to nature. She is allowed very little solid 

 food for some time, and only tepid water to drink ; and, if necessary, is kept 

 warm with hot stones. The women rarely die in childbirth. 



When newly bom an infant is not black, and the dark colour appears first 

 on the brow, and spreads gradually over the body. The child is not bandaged 

 in any way, but laid before the fire on soft, dry grass, and afterwards wrapped in 

 an opossum rug. It receives no nourishment of any kind for twenty-four hours, 

 and no medicine. If the child seem to be still-born, the nurse repeats the 

 names of all her acquaintances in her own and neighbouring tribes ; and, if it 

 show signs of life on her mentioning one of them, it gets the name of that 

 person, who afterwards takes a kindly interest in it, makes it presents, and 

 shows it attention at the great meetings. In two or three days the husband 

 comes to see his wife and child, and the neighbours again occupy their usual 

 residences. If the infant is a boy, the nearest relative is the father ; if it is a 

 girl, the nearest relative is the mother. 



Married women voluntarily assist each other in rearing their babies when 

 the mothers are unable to do so, or are in bad health. Should this not be done 

 voluntarily, the chief can make it compulsory. 



