118 ON THE ORGANISATION OF AUSTRALIAN TRIBES. 
In the Kuinmurbura tribe, according to Mr. W. H. Flowers, girls were betrothed 
when mere infants by their parents, and the act of betrothal was signified by a 
ceremonial act. The parents having painted the girl and dressed her hair with 
feathers, her male cousin* takes her to where her future husband is sitting cross- 
legged in silence, and seats her at his back, and close to him. He who has brought 
the girl after a time removes the feathers from her hair and places them in the hair 
of her future husband, and then leads the girl back to her parents. 
After this time, and until the marriage takes place, the man sends constant 
presents of game, fish, &c., to the girl, but he never goes near the camp or speaks to 
the girl’s mother. 
Next in order in the modes of obtaining a wife comes the practice of the 
Levirate. Under this, the widow becomes the wife of the oldest surviving brother 
of her deceased husband. Some few instances will suffice. 
Among the Kurnai, the widow went to her deceased husband’s eldest surviving 
brother, but not necessarily to his full brother, for he might be his half brother, 
either by the same father or of the same mother. In default of an own 
brother, she went to a tribal brother. The reader may here be referred to my 
remarks on the Kurnai relationships. It is evident in this instance also that the 
right to the widow was in a certain group of men, and not in any one individual. 
In the Wotjobaluk tribe, a widow did not become the wife of her deceased 
husband’s brother, but he had the disposal of her. I am told that the Wotjo 
thus departed from the usual rule of the Levirate because they thought that if 
married to the brother of the deceased husband, she would be always a reminder to 
him of his dead brother. The widow did not re-marry for some months, perhaps 
81x or seven, when the brother of her deceased husband would dispose of her. 
In the Wakelbura tribe, the widow went to the brother of her deceased husband, 
if there were one, if not, then she went to the best friend of the deceased being of 
the same totem. 
In the Turribul tribe it was considered monstrous for a widow to become the 
wife of her deceased husband’s brother, but he had the disposal of her. 
The next form of individual marriage is that by elopement. It may be said 
with safety that this mode obtains in all tribes in which infant betrothal occurs, and 
where the young men, or some of them, find more or less difficulty through this 
practice, or by there being no female relative available for exchange, or indeed 
wherever a couple fall in love with each other and cannot obtain consent to 
their marriage. 
* Mr. Flowers has not informed me as to the nature of the relation which he terms “‘ cousin.”” Since, however, this 
tribe counts descent in the female line, I feel amas certain that on further inquiry “‘ cousin,” .as used by him, would mean 
‘* mother’s brother’s son.” 
