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them. Mr. Cruiksliank has given me the following description 

 of the ceremony, obtained by him from one of his old station 

 hands, who confided it to him. 



When the operation is about to take place, the individual to 

 undergo it is blindfolded, and three of the oldest men of the 

 tribe are also blindfolded. One of these is then placed back to 

 back with the young man, and, interlocking his arms in those of 

 the victim, lifts his feet off the ground by bending well forward, 

 and balances him on his back. The legs of the young fellow are 

 then lashed back to tlie legs of tjie bearer, and in this way safely 

 secured. The other two blindfolded men now approach, and re- 

 move the foreskin by means of some sharp chips of flint. 



For what reason the three operators are blindfolded is difficult 

 to tell, unless it is done to mystify the one who holds the victim 

 up, that he may not tell for certain who really performed the 

 operation. It may, however, only be a little extra display to 

 lend a more imposing impression to the rite, which, as it is per- 

 formed with the greatest circumspestion, and the one most per- 

 sistently and universally practised, perhaps some such hum- 

 bugging ceremonial embellishment is deemed necessary to en- 

 hance the mystification of it. 



The women, as is well known, are kept strictly away from all 

 these ceremonies under pain of death, and to give them warning 

 to keep away, and shut their eyes, a whirring sound is produced 

 by an instrument that is rapidly rotated through the air. This 

 instrument consists of an oval piece of wood from ten inches to 

 two feet six inches long, and from two to four inches wide. It is 

 flat on the one side, and generally elaborately carved on this, and 

 convex and plain on the other. At one end is a hole for a thong 

 of kangaroo hide or a twisted string of Imman hair, by which it 

 is attached to a handle (PI. 17). 



The blacks tell the women that " Jinki " (the devil ?) is about 

 when they hear this yilbar sounded, and although they often 

 know well enough that the men are carrying on some mysteries, 

 they pretend to believe it, and partly from fear and partly froni 

 superstition take care not to inquire into the matter too closely.. 

 The women must not even look upon one of the yilbar, for they 

 would certainly be killed if they were found to have seen one. 

 If accidentally a woman should get sight of one, she would probably 

 pine to death, because she has been led to believe that her doom 

 is sealed, and that superstition is so deeply rooted in her that 

 she would most likely succumb to what she thinks is her unavoid- 

 able fate. The yilbar is therefore always most carefully wrapped, 

 up, and hidden in a secluded place, when not in use. 



For several weeks the young man who has been recently 

 operated upon whirls this instrument whenever he thinks some- 



