Page:Dawson - Australian aborigines (1900).djvu/54

 CHAPTER XII.

CHILDREN.

A near her confinement is called a 'moægorm' and must stay at home, in her husband's wuurn, as much as possible. When she has occasion to quit the wuurn, any person who meets her must leave the path, and keep away from her.

During her confinement her husband lives elsewhere; the neighbouring wuurns are temporarily deserted; and everyone is sent away from the vicinity except two married women, who stay with her. Should she not have a mother to attend on her, a professional woman, 'gneein'—two of whom are generally attached to each tribe—is sent for, and compelled to nurse her and the baby till she is able to attend to it, and to resume the performance of her domestic duties. In return for these services the nurse is kindly treated and well fed, and generally presented with an opossum rug. The sick woman is not assisted in any way, and everything is left to nature. She is allowed very little solid food for some time, and only tepid water to drink; and, if necessary, is kept warm with hot stones. The women rarely die in childbirth.

When newly born an infant is not black, and the dark colour appears first on the brow, and spreads gradually over the body. The child is not bandaged in any way, but laid before the fire on soft, dry grass, and afterwards wrapped in an opossum rug. It receives no nourishment of any kind for twenty-four hours, and no medicine. If the child seem to be still-born, the nurse repeats the names of all her acquaintances in her own and neighbouring tribes; and, if it show signs of life on her mentioning one of them, it gets the name of that person, who afterwards takes a kindly interest in it, makes it presents, and shows it attention at the great meetings. In two or three days the husband comes to see his wife and child, and the neighbours again occupy their usual residences. If the infant is a boy, the nearest relative is the father; if it is a girl, the nearest relative is the mother.

Married women voluntarily assist each other in rearing their babies when the mothers are unable to do so, or are in bad health. Should this not be done voluntarily, the chief can make it compulsory.