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35
the wet season when food is comparatively difficult to
obtain, and in the cold weather. Still-births also are
very prevalent owing to the women fighting amongst them-
selves, and also due to the way they are knocked about
by their husbands.
46. Education. The only art which the boys are systematically
taught is the throwing of the spear. "Tracking" appears
to come to them by instinct.
47. Initiatory Ceremonies - see (Religion) - Festivals (sect. 22).
48. Games, Sport, Corrobborees. "Spin-ball" etc. and many
other games are played amongst the children, and Hislop
will try to get his younger sister who knows them all
to put them in writing. It is only the young men subsequently to
the initiation ceremony who play with the bull-roarers
(tă-rĭ-pă). There is nothing in the way of gambling games.
One game they appear very partial to is played on a
cleared space about 12 to 15 yards long down more or
less of a slope. At the top extremity of this slope one of the men will, with his spear, start rolling a ball
cut out from the top of a zamia tree: as it rolls on
and on with ever increasing momentum, his friends
lining the cleared pathway will try and jab it with
their spears -- the spears used for this special purpose
are small, made in one piece, thrown with the hand, and
known as tchoo-gǎ-rǐ. These blacks are very fond of playing
with young rats, bandicoots, wallabies etc as pets, which
they will catch and tie up in camp at night: they never
think of feeding them however with the result that they
are soon released by death. Among what may be
called aquatic sports may be mentioned the following: -
(a) one will, with a long breath, dive under water, and as
he swims along, blow bubbles up onto the surface -- others
will try and excel him. (b) Will play hide and seek,
crouching under any overhanging rocks or roots. (c) While
diving under water, one will try and elude being caught by the others, (d) Seeing who can jump in from the greatest[end of page]