Page:Dawson - Australian aborigines (1900).djvu/70

 much the natives may be in want of a firestick in travelling through the bush, they will not take a light from a strange fire unless they observe the footprints of human beings near it, indicating that it has been kindled by man. Neither will they take a light from a funeral pyre.

There is a tradition that fire, such as could be safely used, belonged exclusively to the crows inhabiting the Grampian Mountains; and, as these crows considered it of great value, they would not allow any other animal to get a light However, a little bird called Yuuloin keear—'fire-tail wren'—observing the crows amusing themselves by throwing firesticks about, picked up one, and flew away with it. A hawk called Tarrakukk took the firestick from the wren, and set the whole country on fire. From that time there have always been fires from which lights could be obtained.

There is a superstition, called Wuurong, connected with the tracking and killing of kangaroos. In hot weather a doctor, or other person possessed of supernatural powers, looks for the footprints of a large kangaroo. On finding them he follows them up, putting hot embers on them, and continues the quest for two days, or until he tracks it to a water-hole, where he spears it. He then presents portions of the body to his nearest neighbours, and takes the head home to his own wuurn. There seems to be no special meaning attached to this custom.

The aborigines believe that if an enemy get possession of anything that has belonged to them—even such things as bones of animals which they have eaten, broken weapons, feathers, portions of dress, pieces of skin, or refuse of any kind—he can employ it as a charm to produce illness in the person to whom they belonged. They are, therefore, very careful to burn up all rubbish or uncleanness before leaving a camping-place. Should anything belonging to an unfriendly tribe be found at any time, it is given to the chief, who preserves it as a means of injuring the enemy. This wuulon, as it is called, is lent to any one of the tribe who wishes to vent his spite against any one belonging to the unfriendly tribe. When used as a charm, the wuulon is rubbed over with emu fat mixed with red clay, and tied to the point of a spear-thrower, which is stuck upright in the ground before the camp fire. The company sit round watching it, but at such a distance that their shadows cannot fall on it. They keep chanting imprecations on the enemy till the spear-thrower, as they say, turns round and falls down in the direction of the tribe the wuulon belongs to. Hot ashes are then thrown in the same direction, with hissing and curses, and wishes that disease and misfortune may overtake their enemy.