Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu/616

590 tribe lowest down-stream on the Victorian side is the Grangema, who adjoin the Wiimbaio.

Through all this great stretch of country the tribes with the class-names Mukwara and Kilpara have the same social organisation and ceremonies of the Burbung type.

As an illustration of this statement I take the Ta-tathi, whose ceremonies were attended by some of the Wotjobaluk people on one side, and the Wathi-wathi tribe near Balranald on the other.

About 1870 the Ta-tathi sent a messenger to the Wotjobaluk to call some of them to attend their Purbung, near Euston. Among those of the Wotjobaluk who went were my informant and his brother, and the son of the latter, who was taken there by them to be initiated by the Ta-tathi. On reaching Euston under the guidance of the messenger, the old men of the Ta-tathi decided that the Purbung should be commenced the next day. Before daybreak the people were all ready, and there were present Ta-tathi, Wathi-wathi, Leitchi-leitchi people, with others, and they waited for the sun to rise. Three boys were to be initiated, each of whom sat in his camp with his mother and father. The old men and the other initiated men were at their "talking-place." When the sun rose they all ran to the camp shouting, and each boy was seized by his Ngierup, who dragged him by the arm into the crowd of men. The boy's father remained in the camp, where the mother was covered by a rug. The other women were collected together in one place.

I add to the account of the Ta-tathi Purbung a condensed description of the ceremonies of the Wathi-wathi