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Gippsland Aboriginal Ceremony. 2
Last week a number of the aborigines
of the various clans of the Kurnai tribe
gathered together at the old crossing
place at Seacombe on M'Lennan's straits
to conduct the mystic rites and ceremonites
incidental on the admission of the youths
of the tribe to the dignity of manhood,
with all its accompanying privileges. the
ceremony was held at the instance of Mr
A. W. Howeitt who secured the consent of
the old men of the tribe to its taking
place some six months ago, when the first
steps were taken to gather together the
remnant of the tribe. Mr Howitt, who is
a deeply versed student in the ethnology
of the backs, and is now engaged in
writing a book on the subject, was present
during the whole of the ceremony,
he being the only white man who has ever
been admitted so much to the confidence
of the blacks as to be permitted to witness
their secret ceremonials. No ceremony
of a simliar nature has taken place in
Gippsland for many years, the last having
been held at the Mitchell River, the date
of which cannot now be accurately fixed
upon. At the time, however, there were
no signs of a township at Bairnsdale, and
it is calculated that the ceremony must
have taken place nearly or about thirty
years ago. On one side of the river there
was the Lucknow station, and on the other
the M'Leod station, while the river was
crossed in an old "dug out." On that
occasion there was a total eclipse of
the sun on the day of the ceremony.
or as the blacks described it, "night came
in the middle of the day." THe proceed-
ings at Seacombe commenced on Thursday
afternoon, and about 30 blacks were
present, repr senting all the five clans of
the Kurnai tribe. Ten years ago there
would have been boub e the number, but
the old race is dying out fast. The prin-
cipal ceremonites were completed by Mon-
day morning at 9 o'clock, having taken
place at intervals during that time, but
the black did not finally disperse till
Tuesday. Some of the Snowy River
blacks, the Krautun (eastern) clan of the
tribe were present, though they have no
ceremonies of their own, They are, how-
ever, allowed to be present at the initia-
tion ceremonies, though not to be them-
selves initiated. Six youths went throught
the installation ceremony, and were duly
admitted to the rights of manhood. One
of these belonged to the Braiaka (western)
clan, two were Raymond Island blacks,
and the remaining three belonged to the
Brabra (manly) clan. Of the ceremony
itself we cannot speak, and those in-
terested wi l have to wait for the publica-
tion of Mr Howitt's work on the subject
before they can peer into the dim recesses
of the ethnological lore of the blacks.
The details of the ceremony, however,
differed entirely from those practised at
the recent gathering at Bega, N. S. W.,
though the principle underlying it was
exactly identical. During the five days
of the ceremony not a drop of drink was
imbibed by any of the blacks, and not a
single quarrel took place, there not being
an ill word spoken. Many of the old men
of the tribe were strongly averse to the
introduction of intoxicating drink to the
ceremony, hence the very orderly
character of the proceedings.
(VIDE Gippsland Murcury, JAN. 31, 1884.)