362 SPIRIT OF THE WATERS. 
toms of decaying teeth are beginning to make their 
appearance among many. 
Among other superstitions of the natives, they 
believe in the existence of an individual called in the 
Murrumbidgee Biam, or the Murray Biam-baitch-y, 
who has the form and figure of a black, but is 
deformed in the lower extremities, and is always 
either sitting cross-legged on the ground, or ferrying 
about in a canoe. 
From him the natives say they derive many of 
the songs sung at their dances ; he also causes dis- 
eases sometimes, and especially one which indents the 
face like the effects of small pox. Another evil 
agency, dreaded by the natives, is a spirit of the 
waters, called ngook-wonga, it causes many diseases 
to those who go into the waters in unauthorised 
places, or at improper times, hence a native is very 
loth to go into water he is not accustomed to for the 
first time. 
To counteract the evil effects produced by this 
spirit, there are persons particularly devoted to this 
branch of sorcery, the following is a case where I 
saw them exercise their powers. A boy of about 
fourteen had at the Murray river been seized with a 
severe attack of erysipelas in the lower part of one 
of his legs, from bathing and remaining in the water 
when heated. As this did not get better, it was 
ascribed to the evil agency of the Spirit of the 
Waters; and the Pachwonga or Pachwin were 
called in to cure him. They arrived late at night, 
three in number, and at once proceeded to the exer- 
