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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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
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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
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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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