Notes on Aborigines by William Scott, 1871-1928 - Page 59

1. What is the name of the tribe to which your answers refer ; i.e., its name as distinguishing it or its members from other tribes by which it is surrounded ; its local organization in sub-tribes, clans, or lesser divisions ; the boundaries of the country occupied by the tribe?

2. The class divisions of which the tribal community is composed, such as the well-known Kamilaroi classes, Ipai, Kumbo, Muri, Kubi, &c.?

3. The laws of marriage between the classes of the tribal community?

4. The laws governing descent in the classes?

5. The tribal government : whether in the lands of one head-man, or of several head-men, or of a council of elders, or of the elder men generally ; whether such head-men hold their office by election or by right of descent ; whether the tribal government is in the hands of the Wizards or Doctors?

6. The Tribal Council : its constitution and powers?

7. Offences against tribal law or custom, and the methods of punishing such ; offences against the individual, and the meands of redress for the same?

8. The offices of Herald and Messenger ; the use of message sticks and emblems for calling together assemblies for festive, ceremonial, or deliberative purposes, or for declaring war or proclaiming peace?

9. The Wizards and Doctors of the tribe ; their pretension to communication with spirits and to the possession of supernatural power ; the practice of magic and the use of charms for producing or for curing disease?

10. Beliefs as to death and its causes; funeral ceremonies, and the after existence of the disembodied spirit?

11. The initiation ceremonies?

12. Rules regulating the distribution of game and of food, or prescribing the positions to be occupied by the respective huts in a camp?

13. Infanticide ; how, and when practised, and the reasons assigned for it?

14. Cannibalism ; when and where practised, and by whom of the tribe, and upon whom ; the reasons assigned for it?

15. Gesture-language ; signs and signals by smoke or otherwise?

16. Beliefs* as to the structure of the world ; the nature of the sky, the sun, moon, stars, and other heavenly bodies, and generally of natural phenomena?

17. The folklore of the tribe ; the fables, tales, and legends told of animals, men, and supernatural beings?

18. Vocabularies.- Give the native words corresponding to the English - 

 In writing native words, observe that a is sounded like a as in father, e like eh, i like ee, u like oo, ai like eye, au like ow as in now

* Note 1. The above queries refer solely to the beliefs existing at the time of the settlement of the country by the whites - and not to any beliefs or customs acquired from them.

Note 2. In answering, please prefix to your answer only the number of the questions to which the answer refers.