ABORIGINAL TRIBES OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA. 241 



of their friend. Many months may pass over, or a year, 

 or even a longer period, but the matter is not forgotten. 

 When the time at length arrives, a party of warriors, 

 accompanied by some old men, go away into the enemies' 

 country. The chief features of the procedure in despatch- 

 ing such a hazardous expedition may be summarised as 

 follows : — 



The band of men who are to perform this important duty 

 are selected from among the most active and fearless of 

 the relatives and friends of the man whose death they are 

 deputed to avenge. Some of them belong to the same 

 totem as the deceased, and the totems of others are those 

 with whom he could have intermarried. They are mustered 

 on one side of the camp, accompanied by the men who are 

 to lead them, and are decorated with red ochre and grease. 

 The best spears and other weapons are chosen and well 

 greased with human fat. They assume a crouching attitude, 

 by bending their bodies at the haunches and knees, and 

 form into single file. Each man produces one of the 

 'mururs ' already described, and holding it up in his hand, 

 mutters yah ! yah ! They now march away in their bent 

 position, in single file, till they get out of sight of the camp 

 where the women are. They then straighten their bodies 

 and walk on, every man joining in the song shown on 

 the music-block as "Chant No. 3," which is repeated for 

 a short time. While singing, they gesticulate with their 

 weapons as if assaulting an enemy. 



Shortly after the departure of the warriors, the women 

 pack up their belongings, singing a prescribed song as they 

 do so, and remove the camp to another locality, whither 

 they are conducted by the men who remain at home. At 

 this place which may be distinguished as the " women's 

 camp," all the occupants keep quiet, in order that the 

 sorcerers or spies of the enemy may not suspect that a 

 revenge party has been sent out. 



P— Oct. 5, 1904. 



