of the covering and commenced plucking the hair from
the pubes. At intervals, the operators were relieved
by others of both sexes, and of various ages; little
children under ten, were sometimes but not frequently
officiating. When all the hair had been pulled
out, that belonging to each native was carefully rolled
up in green boughs, the three lots being put together,
and given to one of the wise or inspired men to be
put properly away; bunches of green boughs were now
placed under each arm of the boys as also in their
hands, after which several natives took hold of them,
and raised them suddenly and simultaneously to their
feet, whilst a loud gutteral Whaugh was uttered by
the other natives around. They were then disenchanted
and the ceremony was over, but for some time afterwards,
the initiated are obliged to sleep away from the camp,
and are not allowed to see the women; their heads and
bodies are kept smeared with red ochre and grease,
and tufts of feathers and kangaroo teeth are worn
tied to the hair in front. One of the most singular
circumstances connected with this ceremony, is that
the natives who have officiated never afterwards mention
the name of the young men, nor do the latter ever
mention the names of the individuals who have operated
upon them; should the name of either be accidentally
mentioned in the presence of the other, they are greatly
annoyed, and at once put the hand up to the mouth
to signify that it must not be spoken. It is
thus often very difficult to find out the names of
particular natives, and strangers would make many
mistakes, imagining that they were putting down the
name, when in reality they were marking some phrase,
signifying that his name could not be mentioned by
the one applied to. They have no objection to
meet each other after the ceremony, nor do they decline
speaking, but there is this peculiarity in their conduct
that if one gives food, or any thing else to the other,
it is either laid on the ground for him to take, or
is given through the intervention of a third person,
in the gentlest and mildest manner possible, whereas
to another native it would be jerked, perhaps much
in the same way that a bone is thrown to a dog.
There are other instances in which the names of natives
are never allowed to be spoken, as those of a father
or mother-in-law, of a son-in-law and some cases arising
from a connection with each other’s wives.
In speaking, therefore, of one another, or introducing
persons to distant natives, a very round about way
of describing them has often to be adopted, yet so
intimately are neighbouring tribes acquainted with
the peculiar relations subsisting between the members
of each, that there is rarely any difficulty in comprehending
who the individual is that is alluded to. Among
the Adelaide tribes, there is no circumstance but death
that makes them unwilling to mention the name of any
of their acquaintances, and this cause of unwillingness
I believe extends equally all over the continent.