78 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [March, 



which were supplied by firing off revolvers, striking matches, &c. 

 A magnet also seemed to yield a great deal of amusement. 



The house of the Rajah was then inspected, it was estimated to he 

 about 200 feet long by 50 feet broad, and about 50 feet high. Like most 

 of the other houses it was built two-thirds on a rock, and about one-third 

 continued out level by a platform, supported on posts ; this part was the 

 audience end. Inside it was divided by three longitudinal rows of jack- 

 tree posts, one down the centre, and one on each side. After the greater 

 number of the Khoonsais and Hoondekais had left, the Rajah was 

 prepared to receive his presents, though he appeared to have been 

 rather dissatisfied at not getting one of the guns, or revolvers. A few 

 of the houses in the village were afterwards also visited, but they all 

 resembled that of the Rajah, built only on a much smaller scale. 



The Moorroong, or skull house, was next inspected. There were about 

 350 skulls there, half of them being hung up by a string and the other 

 half lying in a heap on the ground. No lower jaws were to be seen, nor 

 any other parts of the skeletons. The hands and feet are always cut 

 off with the head, when a man is killed, each conferring a different 

 kind of A'k, or decoration. It was curious, says Mr. Peel, to be 

 face to face with the great cause of the isolation of the tribes and 

 the constant warfare. It is, namely, a custom of great antiquity, 

 that, all social position depends on tattooing, and this decoration 

 can only be obtained by bringing in the head of an enemy. Unless 

 a man can succeed in doing this, he cannot take part in counsels of 

 state, &c. One who gets the head of an enemy secures for himself the 

 A'k on the face. Another who gets the hands and feet, when a man 

 of the same party gets different marks accordingly, either on the hands, 

 or on the legs. The worst of this kind of warfare is, that women and 

 children are as often killed as men, and without any compunction. Be- 

 sides the skulls, the Moorroong also contains the big drum which is 

 cut out from a tree stem. It is beaten by short heavy sticks and 

 can be heard at a distance of from six to seven miles. Slavery 

 seems to be a common custom among these people, the captives of 

 enemies being generally retained as slaves. 



The return journey was performed along the same road, and it did 

 not occupy more than ten hours, the whole distance being about 24 

 miles. 



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