Ethnological studies among the North-West-Central Queensland aborigines / by Walter E. Roth.

  • Roth, Walter Edmund.
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ethnological studies among the North-West-Central Queensland aborigines / by Walter E. Roth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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266. Having by some one or other of the above methods of “ pointing” obtained the required blood (sect. 26-1) in the receptacle of the “bone-apparatus” the doctor puts into it the pointer, tip downwards, around the exposed butt-end of which and the otherwise open mouth of the cylinder he fixes a lot of the usual cementing substance so as to completely seal it: outside the whole concern he winds the connecting-string round and round. Though he will swear to his employer as to the presence and genuineness of the contained blood, it is difficult to'learn whether the medical man has inserted some of his own, or that of some animal, or indeed any at all: he naturally takes every precaution, to maintain the deception, that no one shall actually see what he does enclose in the cylinder when sealing it. But the employer wants to make doubly sure that he really has the blood of his alleged would-be destroyer, and not that of someone else who may have been “ pointed ” at in mistake. He therefore, in company with the doctor who procured it, will in a few days’ time, to avert suspicion, leave the camp after dark, and in some sequestered spot kindle a fire, over which they warm the bone-apparatus with its ghostly contents. Leaving the medicine-man to keep watch, he returns to camp, divulges his mission to no one, but enters into con- versation with his alleged assailant on any ordinary everyday topic, watches most carefully to see if he is at all sick or not, and may casually get him to admit that he is feeling a bit tired or is a little out of sorts. This admission, simple as it is, constitutes ample proof of guilt under the circumstances, but the avenger says nothing, continues the conversation to allay even the slightest suspicion, parts with him on apparently friendly terms, and sneaks back to the doctor, to whom he narrates exactly what has taken place. Supposing thatHie wrong individua’s blood has been “ caught,” i.e., an innocent person has been “ pointed” at in mistake—and this is judged to be the case when not the slightest sign of sickness is discoverable— the medicine-man breaks open the top of the receptacle, which he rinses out and washes well in water, so as to allow of its being used again in another attempt. 267. But if everything is satisfactory, and the blood of the required culprit has been really (as is believed) obtained, the one in possession has only to warm the apparatus again over the fire to make his alleged, and now proven, enemy more sick ; to destroy it in the flames to make him actually die; or to rinse it in water and rub fat of any description over it to put him all to rights again. He thus has his enemy completely in his power, and continues to make him sick— there is generally some agfue, venereal, or chronic rheumatism, &c., about—but will not kill him—i.e., burn the munguni—for fear of his own life, which continues in danger so long as his own blood (which can be affected, for good or for evil, and by similar methods) remains in his enemy’s possession. 268. After a longer or shorter interval, when the passions have subsided—and Time heals all things, even the quarrels of the aboriginal—the complainant will consider that he has punished his enemy sufficiently by making him so seriously ill. He will find some opportunity for making an explanation, and admit, more or less truly, that it was he, but only in retaliation, who “ caught ” and still possesses his blood: the owner of the latter will naturally, and most conscientiously, of course, deny the charge in to/o at first, but w'hen the strong array of facts is marshalled before him, admit it for peace and security sake, and invent or find perhaps some trifling excuse to justify his alleged original act of injury. They do not fight, being mutually afraid of each other, now that each is firmly believed to be in possession of the other’s “ blood,” but settle the matter amicably, the mutual understanding being cemented by the alleged careful washing out and rinsing of the respective munqunis,one of which—the original alleged enemy’s—is probably, and, of course, in most cases, not really existent. 269. Death from Snake-bite.—To account for a death from snake-bite—which apparently only rarely happens, and in such cases the purely natural cause and fatal effect are not reconciled— a variation in the superstition of the death-bone is brought into requisition. This modification in the procedure, though known throughout the whole Boulia District, is said to be only occasionally employed. By means similar to those already mentioned, proof is forthcoming that the receptacle of the bone-apparatus actually contains the particular person’s blood