398 ANTHROPOLOGICAL NOTES, 
had therefore to be cautious and avoid polluting any water when 
travelling in company. 
When about to give birth the women retired to a secluded 
place and usually managed the confinement without assistance 
from other females. 
The children generally received a name after something remark- 
able that happened at the time of their birth or after something 
in connection with the locality of it. 
As a rule the children were a good deal indulged and were 
allowed to have things their own way, but were supposed to be 
obedient to their parents. If they disobe}^ed, they were taught 
they would be punished during later years by getting bad rashes 
and sores on their body and limbs, caused through the influence 
of a fiendish spirit. A disease of this kind was often the cause of 
death amongst them. It began with an itch like a scab that was 
dry on the surface but festering below the skin, and at an 
advanced stage smelled very offensively and sometimes caused the 
flesh to rot away. Some who were only lightly afflicted with it 
would perhaps be cured, but when the disease became general and 
severe it was mostly fatal. As a cure the natives ate a kind of 
yam* cooked in hot ashes or roasted on stones, as well as other 
vegetable food and certain herbs. 
Whenever a native became ill he imagined that " Jakkandibbi " 
(the supposed evil spirit) had taken his " gurai " (kidney fat). It 
was believed by them that they may recover from it, but if 
Jakkandibbi was to take the gurai the third time it would be 
followed by death. The blackfellow's belief was that he would 
live for ever were it not for the evil one who robbed him of his 
life; even if a spear were thrust through his heart, it would not 
be the spear that killed him but it would be Jakkandibbi. 
* From the description received of the plant, I believe these to be the 
tubers of a liliaceous plant. The disease, from the description and its cure, 
seems to be scurvy of a severe nature, or a similar affliction, caused no 
doubt through unhealthy meat or want of a variety of food. 
