276 



of the oldest men of the tribe take each a sharp fish-bone and 

 pierce it right through the scrotum. They consider this piece of 

 sorcery specially powerful to induce the swans to lay. (This in- 

 formation Mr. Beck obtained from some of liis blackboys, whom 

 he considers perfectly reliable.) 



To make rain the following disgusting ceremony or scorcery is 

 performed : — 



Plurimi se violare solent ; semen in aiveum collectum, aqua 

 farreque (cui nomen "nardu" datum) miscent ; quod deinde 

 vir (juisque edit. (Obtained from Mr. Beck's black boys.) 



When they are about to exercise the rite of circumcision, or 

 the "terrible rite," tliey proceed as follows : — A black lies down 

 on the ground face downward, another lays himself on the first 

 face upwards, and a third upon him again face downward. On 

 these three the young man is thrown, and held by the hands and 

 feet whilst the operation is being performed. (Also by informa- 

 tion of the black boys.) 



The superstition of pointing .a bone to make someone ill and 

 cause his death is believed in by this tribe. All illness is 

 invariably attributed to the iilwill of an enemy who has pointed 

 a bone at the victim, whose body it has entered, and is lodged 

 where the pain is felt. If no medicine-man sucks the bone out, 

 death is almost certain to take place. When this happens the 

 relatives of the dead go to the tribe whence the bone is supposed 

 to have come, and slay the imaginary murderer. This, of course, 

 leads to retaliation, and a feud of long duration, or even per- 

 petuity. 



The following information was furnished by Billy Weaver, an 

 intelligent half-caste living at Warrina, but wjio was born at 

 Port Lincoln : — 



TEURITORY OF TRIBES. 



The territory of the Andijirigna extends from Alberga north 

 to Mount Eba south : to the west past the Musgrave Range, and 

 in the east it joins the territory of the 



Wtmgaralnmna, which extends north from Oodnadatta to 

 Strangways Springs south ; east to Lake Eyre, and west to 

 Cootanoorinna. The 



Diyeri extends from Salt Creek north-west of Cooper's Creek 

 to Hergott Springs south ; east to Lake Hope, and to the west 

 joins the Wungarabunna territory. The 



Kukatha joins the Andijirigna, and extends fi'om Port Augusta 

 north to Poonindie south-west. The 



Kuyanni joins the Diyeri, and extends from Hergott Springs 

 north to Beltana south. The district of the 



Wonkongnuru lies round Salt Creek, and joins the Diyeri in 

 the north. The 



