250 B. H. MATHEWS. 



language is also inculcated ; every animal and plant — in short, 

 every object in the universe — has a mystic name which is known 

 to the initiated only. 



During the ceremonies, the tribe in whose territory the meeting 

 is held, are required to give up one of their men to be killed and 

 eaten by the visitors. He is slain by the men of the tribe in 

 whose country the preceding inaugural assembly took place, and 

 his death is in retaliation for the victim they themselves had to 

 provide on that occasion. 



Before the visitors disperse to their own districts, there is 

 generally a real or feigned quarrel between the men of the different 

 tribes present, after which there is promiscuous sexual intercourse 

 and interchange of wives, by way of reconciliation. 



APPENDIX. 



Divisions of Some North Queensland Tribes. 

 In a former paper 1 I enumerated the four divisions of the 

 Mycoolon, Myappe and Kalkadoon tribes, together with those of 

 the Koogobathy, reported by Mr. E. Palmer in 1883. He says 

 "The class names of the Mycoolon represent those of several 

 adjoining and allied tribes." 2 



I am now able to report the organisation of a community of 

 tribes in North Queensland spread over the country from the 

 Upper Mitchell River southerly to near Gilberton, a distance of 

 about two hundred miles by a maximum width of more than one 

 hundred miles. Their territory commences on the Mitchell River 

 above Gamboola Station, and extends thence to the sources of 

 that stream, including the Hodgkinson, Walsh, and Tate Rivers; 

 and the upper portions of the Lynd, Einasleigh, Etheridge, Copper- 

 field and Gilbert Rivers — all flowing towards the Gulf of Carpen- 

 taria. On the eastern watershed, they include the head-waters 

 of the Barron, Herbert and Burdekin Rivers. 



l Journ. Roy. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxxn., 82, 83. 

 2 Journ. Anthrop. Inst., London, xiii., 302. 



