The Washington herald., 1915-11-07

vhiskers often OF a reddish tint. The
head hair is usually matted with grease
and dirt. but when cleaned is fine and
glossy. The skin gives out an objec-
tionable odor. Mile. Noyotna says. be-
cause the bushmen anoint their bodies
with fish oils.
"The Australian bushmen." she says,
but they are treacherous. untruthful and
hold human life cheaply. None of them
has any idea of what we call morality.
Mentally. they are in the condition OF
children. wife will be beaten without
mercy for unfaithfulness to- her hus-
band, but at the same time he has no
scruple in handing her over to another
man. Yet the Australian is capable OF
strong affections and provides for his
blind with touching care"
Some tribes she came upon were liv-
ing in almost prehistoric simplicity.
Their food was the meat they killed IN
the chase or seeds and roots. grubs or
reptiles Never had they undertaken to
cultivate a crop In most districts both
sexes were emit nude
The breast or hack Of both sexes Is
usually tattooed. or rather scored with
rows Of hideous raised scars. produced
by deep gashes made in childhood. Their
dwellings, for the most part. are either
bowers made OF the branches OF trees or
novels OF piled logs loosely covered
with grass or bark.
Most OF the natives" says Mile. No
votna, have a strong sense OF property
rights, and the various tribes have
framed laws for their protection. Among
some of the tribes in western Australia
the penalty for stealing another mans
wife was to stand with legs extended
while each male of the tribe stuck his
spear into q leg. The laws, however, do
not protect the women, who are mere
chattels OF their lords.
They have strict rules concerning
the food OF the women and youth Of
both sexes II was only after initiation
that boys were allowed to eat all the game
the forest provided.
Zone Of the strangest things ! saw was
an inquest over a corpse who was sup
posed TO have come to his death through
sorcery. The corpse was asked by each
relative in succession the name Of the
murderer Then they all sat around the
body and watched for the direction Of
the fight of the first bird which passed
over II. The direction was regarded
as that in which the sorcerer must be
sought.
with his head on the corpse in the belief
that he will dream of the murderer. The
most sacred duty an Australian has to
perform is to avenge the death of a rela-
tive, and he is the object Of taunts and
jeers until he does.
Even today there are cases Of can
nibalism among the tribes here and
there. especially where enemies have
been killed. In the Luritcha It was
customary when a child was in weak
health to kill a younger and healthier
one and feed the weakling on its flesh.
Sometimes cannibalism occurs in the ma
ture of a funeral observance in honor of
the deceased, who is honored as 1t hap
pens by Nhe relatives eating portions Of
him .reverently.
Sin south Australia some OF the boys
had to go through elaborate initiation
ceremonies in places where women were
not allowed to set foot. At about ten
Fthey were covered with blood from head
to foot, several men bleeding themselves
for the purpose. At the age Of puberty
the lad was SCARED with gashes cut in
his shoulders, back and chest, and the
septum of his nose was pierced. AT