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CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER II

SOCIAL ORGANISATION AND MARRIAGE REGULATIONS 42

CHAPTER III

INITIATION CEREMONIES 88

CHAPTER IV

TOTEMIC SYSTEMS AND TOTEM GROUPS 177

CHAPTER V

SACRED STICKS, BULL-ROARERS, AND CEREMONIAL OBJECTS 210

CHAPTER VI

BURIAL AND MOURNING CEREMONIES 228

CHAPTER VII

MAGIC AND MEDICINE 257

CHAPTER VIII

BELIEFS IN REGARD TO THE ORIGIN OF CHILDREN 263

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CHAPTER IX

TRADITIONS CONCERNING IMBEROMBERA, THE GREAT ANCESTOR, AND ALSO OTHER ANCESTORS OF THE KAKADU NATION 275

CHAPTER X

VARIOUS TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, AND BELIEFS 313

CHAPTER XI

FOOD RESTRICTIONS 342

CHAPTER XII

WEAPONS AND IMPLEMENTS 352

CHAPTER XIII

CLOTHING AND ORNAMENT 401

CHAPTER XIV

DECORATIVE ART 407

APPENDIX 441

GLOSSARY OF NATIVE TERMS 485

INDEX 503

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURES

1.--Open Forest Land near Daly Waters. Typical Central Australian Country 3

2.--Ant Hill Country, near Pine Creek 3

3.--Downs Country Between pp. 4-5

4.--Daly River 4-5

5.--Rocky Bar and Reach on the Flora River 4-5

6.--A Lily Water Pool 4-5

7.--Swamp jungle, Melville Island 4-5

8.--Two Kakadu Men 6-7

9.--Geimbio Family, Man with Six Wives 6-7

10.--Two Kakadu Women 6-7

11.--Group of Women of Mulluk Mulluk Tribe 6-7

12.--Group of Port Essington Natives on Board Cooper's Lugger, in Apsley Straits 6-7

13.--Group of Older Men in Characteristic Attitudes. Melville Island 6-7

14.--Two Melville Island Men. Back View, showing Cicatrices 8

15.--Two Melville Island Men. Front View, showing Cicatrices 8

16.--Bathurst Island Man with Head Decorated. Side View 9

17.--Bathurst Island Man with Head Decorated. Front View 9

18.--Melville Island Man whose Leg was Bitten off by a Crocodile 10

18A.--Larakia Woman with joint of Index Finger Cut Off 10

19.--Lubras Cooking. Waduman Tribe 27

20.--Man Killing Snake. Kakadu Tribe 28

21.--Native Cooking Oven, showing the Stones that are Heated. They are in the Shade at the right hand side 28

22.--Stringy-Bark Mia Mia, with Man, Woman and Child. Melville Island 29

23.--Young Child Deserted and left in Camp. Melville Island 29

24.--Skeleton of Mosquito Mia Mia. Roper River 31

25.--Mosquito Mia Mia. Roper River 31

26.--Buffalo Corrobboree. Melville Island 33

27.--Buffalo Corrobboree. Melville Island 34

28.--End of Corrobboree. Melville Island 34

Map showing Distribution of Local Groups on Melville and Bathurst Islands Page 44

29.--Procession of Decorated Men through the Forest, during the Yam Ceremony. Melville Island 94

30.--The Ceremonial Ground during the Yam Ceremony 96

31.--The Three Men bending down are holding the Marukumana Boys' Heads in Baskets under the Water 99

32.--Special Fire built on the Ceremonial Ground to roast the Yams. Melville Island 99

33-Taking the Yams out of the Fire. Melville Island 102

{p. xviii}

34.--Father painting the Mikinyertinga Girl. Melville Island. 108

35.--Men Pulling their Beards out. The old man on the left-hand side is in the act of pulling. Melville Island 108

36.--Boys carrying the Wands called Uro-Ammi, when summoning Members of Distant Camps to the Initiation Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 133

37.--Scene in the Ober Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe . Between pp. 136-7

38.--Scene in the Ober Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 136-7

39.--Scene in the Ober Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 136-7

40.--Scene in the Ober Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 136-7

41.--Scene in the Ober Ceremony (Snake). Kakadu Tribe 136-7

42.--Scene in the Ober Ceremony (Snake). Kakadu Tribe 141

43.--Jungoan Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 145

44.--Swinging the Bull-roarer in the Larakia Tribe 145

45.--Showing the Bull-roarer to the Initiates. Larakia Tribe 155

46.--Placing the Bull-roarer on the Hands of the Initiates. Larakia Tribe 155

47.--Scene from the Muraian Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 186

48.--Scene from the Muraian Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 187

49.--Scene from the Muraian Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 186

50.--Newly-made Grave, before erection of Posts. The Mound is covered with a Sheet of Paper Bark 230

51.--Two Old Graves. Melville Island 230

52.--Women wearing Armlets during Mourning Ceremonies on Melville Island 34

53.--Close of the Mourning Dance. Men leaning on the Grave Posts. Bathurst Island 234

54.--Clearing the Ground around the Grave, and Erection of Posts. Melville Island 235

55.--Men Dancing round the Grave Posts. Bathurst Island 236

56.--Mourning Ceremony, Man jumping in the Air. Bathurst Island 238

57.--Carrying the Body, wrapped in Paper Bark, to the Grave. Kakadu Tribe 240

58.--Placing Stones on the newly-made Grave. Kakadu Tribe 240

59.--Circle of Grass Stalks with Paper Bark in Centre, in which the Body of the Dead Woman had been Wrapped 242

60.--Water-pouring Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 242

61.--Men Painting themselves and Children with Nack. Kakadu Tribe 244

62.--Women wearing Armlets called Kundama, during Mourning Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe. 244

63.--Child's Bones carried about in Dilly Bag by her Mother. Kakadu Tribe. 248

64.--Ceremony of Korno 258

65.--Placing Sticks over the Buried Spirit at the close of the Korno Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 260

66,--The Old and the Young Numereji Snake. A Bark Drawing. Kakadu Tribe 313

67.--Bubba Peibi from a Drawing on Bark 313

68.--Medicine Man rubbing his Hand under his Arm-pit to secure Moisture to rub on the Patient. Kakadu Tribe 319

{p. xix}

69.--Medicine Man sucking and massaging Patient to withdraw Girl Magic. Kakadu Tribe 319

70.--Holes in the Rock supposed to have been made by a Thunder Man at Lurudminni 335

71.--Bark Belts. Kakadu Tribe 335

72.--Natives throwing Spears on Melville Island 365

73.--Corrobboree Wands or Yai-illa. Kakadu Tribe 396

74.--Natives gathering the Lotus Lily. Roper River 396

75.--Natives and Dug-out Canoes. Melville Island 399

76.--Designs drawn on the Bodies of Men during the Performance of a Muraian Ceremony in the Kakadu Tribe 429

77.--Designs drawn on the Bodies of Kakadu, Umoriu, and Geimbio Natives during the Performance of ordinary Corrobborees 431

78.--Body Decorations of Melville and Bathurst Islanders during the Performance of Ceremonies 432

79.--A Bark Drawing of a Mormo called Ingwalin. Kakadu Tribe 433

80.--Bark Drawings of two Mormo or Debil-debils. Kakadu Tribe 434

81.--Bark Drawing of a Mormo. Geimbo Tribe 433

82.--Bark Drawing of a Mormo called Yerobeiri. Kakadu Tribe Between pp. 436-7

83.--Bark Drawing of a Mormo called Warraguk. Kakadu Tribe 436-7

84.--Bark Drawing of Three Snakes. Kakadu Tribe 436-7

85--Bark Drawing of a Crocodile. Kakadu Tribe 436-7

86.--Bark Drawing of a Native Spearing a large Rock Kangaroo. Kakadu Tribe 436-7

87.--Bark Drawing of a Kangaroo Hunt, Kakadu Tribe 436-7

88.--Bark Drawing. Kakadu Tribe 438-9

89.--Bark Drawing of a Barramunda fish (Osteoglossum leichardti). Kakadu Tribe 438-9

90.--Bark Drawing of a Native Spearing a "Native Companion" (Grus australasianus). Kakadu Tribe 438-9

91.--Bark Drawing of a Palmated Goose. Kakadu Tribe 438-9

92.--Bark Drawing of an Echidna. Kakadu Tribe 438-9

PLATES

I.--Ornaments Worn by various Individuals in connection with the Initiation Ceremonies on Melville Island. (Coloured) 112

II.--Sacred Bull-roarers 212

III.--Sacred Objects used during the Muraian Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe. (Coloured) 218

IV.--Sacred Objects of the Muraian Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 218

V.--Sacred Objects of the Muraian Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe. 220

VII.--Sacred Objects of the Muraian Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 222

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VII.--Sacred Objects of the Muraian Ceremony. Kakadu Tribe 224

VIII.--Armlets worn by Women during Mourning Ceremonies on Melville and Bathurst Islands. (Coloured) Between pp. 232-3

IX.--Decorated Rings Carried by the Women during Mourning Ceremonies on Melville Island. (Coloured) 232

X.--Grave Posts, Melville Island. (Coloured) 232

XI.--Tjilaiyu Ceremony. Explanatory Diagram 259

XII.--Stone Axes 355

XIII.--Various Forms of Spears 356

XIV.--Spears, Barbed on one Side. Melville and Bathurst Islands 360

XV.--Spears, Barbed on both Sides. Melville and Bathurst Islands 362

XVI.--Various Forms of Clubs. Kakadu Tribe 366

XVII.--Various Forms of Clubs from Melville and Bathurst Islands 368

XVIII.--Various Forms of Clubs. Melville and Bathurst Islands 372

XIX.--Various Forms of Clubs. Melville and Bathurst Islands 374

XX.--Spear Throwers 377

XXI.--Various Forms of Baskets 377

XXII.--Netted Baskets, woven out of Grass, etc. Kakadu and other Tribes 381

XXIII.--Netted Baskets, woven out of Grass, etc. Kakadu and other Tribes 382

XXIV.--Netted Baskets, woven out of Grass, etc. Kakadu and other Tribes 384

XXV.--Baskets made from Stringy-bark. Melville Island 388

XXVI.--Trumpets. Kakadu and other Tribes . 390

XXVII.--Various Articles used by the Kakadu Tribe 397

XXVIII.--Various Forms of Ornament. Kakadu and allied Tribes 403

XXIX.--Bark Armlets worn by Women during Mourning Ceremonies on Melville and Bathurst Islands 408

XXX.--Bark Armlets worn by Women during Mourning Ceremonies on Melville and Bathurst Islands 409

XXXI.--Ring carried by Women during Mourning Ceremonies on Melville Island 415

XXXII.--Rings carried by Women during Mourning Ceremonies on Melville Island 417

XXXIII.--Various Forms of Armlets. Melville Island 411

XXXIV.--Bark Baskets. Melville Island. (Coloured) 422

XXXV.--Bark Baskets. Melville Island. (Coloured) 422

XXXVI.--Decorated Spears. Melville and Bathurst Islands. 426

Map of the Northern Territory 6

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Next: Chapter I: Introduction