NOTES ON SOME NATIVE TRIBES OF AUSTRALIA. 125 
the best course to be pursued in dealing out retribution to 
the guilty party. Some of the hair, or it may be portions 
of the skin, which had previously been secured from the 
body of the murdered man, are produced at this meeting, 
for the purpose of infusing into the minds of those present 
a desire for speedy retaliation. 
The population of a certain locality often consisted of a 
number of families, who were so far independent, that they 
might in the aggregate be called sub-tribes. It not in- 
frequently happened that feuds arose between these family 
groups, and murders occasionally took place. When a 
wrong of this kind was inflicted upon a weak sub-tribe, 
which was not able to retaliate, a messenger was sent to 
report the facts of the case to the other family groups 
with whom they were connected by ties of kinship, asking 
for their assistance. The messenger carried with hima 
flat stick about eighteen inches or two feet in length, and 
about an inch and a half wide. This stick was marked or 
ornamented with lines and nondescript devices by means 
of a marsupial’s tooth, and was painted with red ochre. 
Instead of a wooden message stick, the bone of an emu’s 
leg, or that of a kangaroo’s leg, was sometimes used, being 
marked with a flint in the same manner as the piece of 
wood. 
The neighbouring people who were summoned in this 
way usually responded, because they might require similar 
help some day for themselves. On reaching the common 
meeting ground indicated by the messenger, a party. of 
warriors was selected to proceed into the country of the 
wrong-doer. Then there was great greasing and straight- 
ening and sharpening of spears. Boomerangs, clubs, shields 
and other weapons were duly examined, and all necessary 
preparations made for the projected foray. Some of the 
cleverest sorcerers available were there with their para- 
