SORCERY AND WITCHCRAFT.

The Australian aborigine is a thorough believer in sorcery, with him it is a great motive power. The principal object to which it is applied is taking the lives of enemies.

They attribute every death of a young or middleaged person to witchcraft. The first thing necessary is to find out the enemy who has done this. He must be, of course, of another tribe.

The flight of a bird; the direction assumed by a new fallen leaf; the track of a snake or lizard in the fresh ashes strewn about the grave of the departed, or any other trivial circumstance, may indicate to them that the enemy is to be found in the tribe immediately to the east or west of them, as the case may be. An attack is made in the night, and one or more victims of their often ill-directed revenge, will suffice to satisfy them for the loss of their friend.

Sorcery makes them suspect, fear and hate every man not of their own tribe.

As a general rule they are careful to burn all refuse of food, castaway hair or anything else formerly belonging to their persons, lest, if it fall into an enemy's hand he may use it as a means whereby he may hurt them with his sorcery.

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All pain is supposed to spring from the same source. The "doctor" sucks the part affected-liver, heart, neck, head or other region of pain-and presently takes from his mouth bits of wood, two inches long, glass or stones, which he has drawn into his mouth from the

seat of pain, and which he asserts have been injected into his patient by some hostile doctor. If he fails to effect a cure it is through the more powerful opposing influence of some doctor in a hostile tribe. At least, this excuse quite satisfies the patient or his friends.

When a death occurs the women weep and lament, and tear the skin off their temples with their nails. The parents of the deceased lacerate themselves fearfully, especially if he be an only son.

The father beats and cuts his head with his tomahawk, and groans bitterly; and the mother sits by the fire and burns her breast and abdomen with a firestick until she wails with pain.

The Rev. George Taplin gives the following account of some of their customs: "The Narranyeri, inhabiting the lakes of the Lower Murray, believe, when a death occurs, that sorcery has caused it.

The nearest relative sleeps with his head on the corpse, and dreams a dream to discover the name of the sorcerer who has caused the death.

"When the body is being carried to the grave the male members of the tribe gather around it, and keeping their eyes intently upon it, they call out the names of those they think may have practised the sorcery. mentioned, then they

If it moves when a name is know on whom to be avenged. As a rule the body does not move (in imagination) until the dreamer mentions the name of the person whom he saw in his dream. The tribe is of course satisfied that the mur

derer is discovered.

"The bearers immediately begin running as if mad, pretending that the corpse has moved itself, and there are increased signs of deepest mourning. If the supposed one should come to the lamentation the dreamer watches him closely, and if he does not shed tears he is the more convinced of his guilt, and considers it now his duty to avenge his relative's death. If the suspected one should happen to be of their own nation a difficulty arises.

"They may not desire to kill the sorcerer. Negotiations result in the injured family or tribe formally cursing the slayer of their friend and all his relations. If this is done arrangements are at once made for a fight. The mourning tribe commence to weep and lament as soon as they see their foes. The latter mock and deride them, and some of them dance wild dances,

flourishing their spears. They shout and laugh wildly, and do all in their power to provoke a fight. If there is any old grudge between the two tribes they fight savagely, and sometimes two or three may be killed; but if they are met merely to give satisfaction' for the injury done to the dead man, the fight is interrupted after a few spears are thrown by some old man, who declares that enough has been done. If the old men on both sides agree, the hostile tribes again mingle on friendly terms, and there is an end of the business, for the death has been avenged."

There are three forms of sorcery, says Mr. Curr, called "millin," "ngathungi," and "neilyeri."

Millin.-A big-headed club called "plongge" is used entirely for millin. A mere touch from it is the cause of disease and death. They sometimes knock down an enemy, then tap his chest with the plongge, hit him with it on his shoulders and knees, and pull his ears till they crack. He is then called plongge wategeri. He is now, by this means, given to the power of a demon called Nalkaru, who will create disease in his chest, or cause him to be speared in battle or bitten by a snake. Very frequently the plongge is used upon a person sleeping. It is warmed, and the chest of the sleeper is gently tapped. Such an one is sure to have, as they think, disease of the chest. If

any one feels sore in the chest after sleeping, it is always attributed to the touch of the plongge.

Ngathungi.-This form of sorcery is practised with bones, or remains of animals which have been eaten. A bone of some bird or beast which an enemy has eaten is obtained. This is mixed with grease, redochre and human hair. The mass is stuck in a round lump on the end of a skewer of kangaroo's bone, and is then called “ngathungi." When injury is intended against the man who ate the animal from which the bone came, the ball above described is put down before the fire, and as it melts disease is supposed to be engendered in the person so bewitched, and if it wholly melts he dies.

Any one who knows

that another person has ngathungi capable of injuring him, buys it if he can and throws it in the river or lake. This breaks the charm.

Neilyeri. This is practised by means of a pointed bone. It is scraped to a very fine point. Sometimes an iron point is used. This is poisoned by being stuck into a dead body. Any one wounded by it usually loses a limb or dies. Sometimes this wound is inflicted secretly, when the person is asleep. The bone is kept moist by being wrapped in human hair soaked in liquor from a dead body. The natives are so terribly afraid of neilyeri that they dread even to