CEREMONIAL 1894 - 1900
Reference Type:
Journal Article**
Record Number: 11
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1894
Title: Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894
Journal: Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South
Wales
Volume: 28
Pages: 98-129
Keywords: Baiame - stories and motifs
Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This article was the first in which Mathews described a
male initiation ceremony. He did not attend this ceremony himself, but
gained his information from a correspondent named J. T. Crawley who was the
police officer at Mogil Mogil, a settlement fifteen miles from the pastoral
station of ‘Gundabloui’ in northern New South Wales where the initiation
occurred. At Mathews’ request, Crawley visited the Kamilaroi people
assembled at ‘Gundabloui’ for the ceremony where he elicited information
about the ritual, known as the Bora. Several senior men are named as being
responsible for organising the ceremony. Among the Europeans they were known
as Billy Whiteman, Moogan Billy and Jack Bagot. They did not admit Crawley
to all the ceremonies associated with the initiation. Even so, the
information he collected is substantial. Many aspects of ceremonial life are
covered […]. This is an important document on how ceremonial life continued
into the late colonial period. It reveals that the ritual, which lasted
about a month, had support from government and settlers. The Aborigines’
Protection Board provided rations and beef was provided by a local
pastoralist. In addition to the direct description of the ceremony, Mathews
gives a literature review of other articles on boras, some of which are
criticised. The contents of this article were largely duplicated in ‘The
Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ which was published
by the Journal of the Anthropological Institute in 1895. This damaged
Mathews’ professional standing, particularly within the Royal Society of New
South Wales where, during his early years as an anthropologist, he developed
a reputation for replicating articles he had already published. This article
should be read in conjunction with two other papers: ‘Additional Remarks
Concerning Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1896) and ‘The Bora,
or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (Part II)’ (1896). They
were written after Mathews personally visited ‘Gundabloui’, gathering
further information which alerted him to limitations in Crawley’s reportage.
He was therefore compelled to revise certain opinions and to greatly enlarge
his account of the ceremony. Further information on the Kamilaroi bora is
also contained in four other articles: ‘The Bora of the Kamilaroi Tribes’
(1896); ‘Phallic Rites and Initiation Ceremonies of the South Australian
Aborigines’ (1900); ‘Notes on the Aborigines of New South Wales’ (1907); and
‘Notes on the Australian Aborigines’ (1907). For a map of the ceremony
described in this paper see Plate 27 of Mathews’ article ‘The Burbung of the
Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896) and the explanatory notes on pp. 315-16.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Narran
2. Namoi
3. Kamilaroi
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. 'Gundabloui'
2. County of Finch
3. Moonie River
4. Mole, near Quambone
5. Quambone
6. Farm Cove
7. Wellington
8. Lower Castlereagh River
9. Barwon River
10. Mr. Quinn's station
11. Long Point
12. Singleton
13. Eurie Eurie run
14. Wullamgambone run
15. Bogan River
16. Macquarie River
17. Page River
18. Isis River
19. Mogil Mogil
20. 'Kunopia' on the Boomi River
21. Boomi River
22. Walgett
23. Collarenebri
24. Kunopia
25. St. George
26. Welltown
27. Moonie
28. Mungindi
29. Mungaroo
30. Collybidgelah
31. Wilpinjong Creek
32. Parish of Wilpinjong
33. County of Phillip
34. Wyndham
35. Wee Waa
INFORMANTS
1. 'squatters and station managers who have lived in the back country and
had opportunities of observing the customs of the blacks for many years'
(103)
2. Mr. Jackson, 'now manager of Dulwich Estate, near Singleton' (103).
3. Mr. James A. Glass, 'of Long Point, near Singleton' (103).
4. Mr. George Gibson, 'owner of the Wullamgambone run, on the Mole' (104).
5. Mr. A. Brown, 'the owner of a station on the Castlereagh River' (104).
6. Mr. J. T. Crawley, the Police Officer stationed at Mogil Mogil, fifteen
miles from 'Gundabloui', who is well acquainted with the blacks of that
district, and in whom I knew I could place entire confidence, and asked him
to collect the fullest details he could (105).
7. Mr. William Carr, 'who was with me [last Christmas time I visited a Bora
ground near Wilpinjong Creek], and who has resided in the district since he
was a boy' (126-7).
8. Mr. J. A. Glass (of the Eurie Eurie run?) (127).
CORRESPONDENTS
1. Mr. Jackson, 'now manager of Dulwich Estate, near Singleton' (103).
2. Mr. James A. Glass, 'of Long Point, near Singleton' (103).
3. Mr. George Gibson, 'owner of the Wullamgambone run, on the Mole' (104).
4. Mr. A. Brown, 'the owner of a station on the Castlereagh River' (104).
5. Mr. J. T. Crawley, the Police Officer stationed at Mogil Mogil (105).
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
Not applicable.
CROSS-REFERENCES
Corrections to this article made in ‘Additional Remarks Concerning
Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1896).
For a map of the ceremony described in this article see Plate 27 of Mathews’
article ‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896) and the explanatory
notes on pp. 315-16.
A sequel to this article was published as 'The Bora, or, Initiation
Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2' (1896).
New data concerning this ceremony was reported in 1900, 'Phallic Rites and
Initiation Ceremonies of the South Australian Aborigines':[…] (635)
'Notes on the Aborigines of New South Wales' (1907) contains this remark:
'It should be explained that during recent years, when the blacks can obtain
food from the white people, a Bora lasts much longer than in the old, wild
times, when a native's life was one long struggle for subsistence. For
example, the Bora which took place at Gundabloui, in 1895, lasted about
three months, because the Aborigines' Protection Board supplied rations to
the aged blacks and the children, besides which the manager of Gundabloui
station, close by, gave them an allowance of beef all the time. The natives
who held the Bora at Tallwood, in 1895, were likewise supplied with food by
the white residents of the district, and consequently the meeting ws
prolonged for some months. I myself contributed liberally to the
commissariat of the blacks who came to the Tallwood Bora. A severe drought
was prevailing throughout the district at the time, and some of the old
natives confided to me that they would make the Bora last as long as they
could get provisions from the Europeans.' (18-19)
'Notes on the Australian Aborigines' (1907) refers to this article and gives
additional information on Baiamai.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 38
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1895
Title: The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe
Journal: Journal of the Anthropological Institute
Volume: 24
Pages: 411-27
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This article was Mathews’ first contribution to the
prestigious Journal of the Anthropological Institute. It substantially
duplicates the text of ‘Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1894).
The article describes a male initiation ceremony. Mathews did not attend
this ceremony himself, but gained his information from a correspondent named
J. T. Crawley who was the police officer at Mogil Mogil, a settlement
fifteen miles from the pastoral station of ‘Gundabloui’ in northern New
South Wales where the initiation occurred. At Mathews’ request, Crawley
visited the Kamilaroi people assembled at ‘Gundabloui’ for the ceremony
where he elicited information about the ritual, known as the Bora. Several
senior men are named as being responsible for organising the ceremony. Among
the Europeans they were known as Billy Whiteman, Morgan (spelled ‘Moogan’ in
1894 article) Billy and Jack Bagot. They did not admit Crawley to all the
ceremonies. Even so, the information he collected is substantial. Many
aspects of ceremonial life are covered […]. This is an important document on
how ceremonial life continued into the late colonial period. It reveals that
the ritual, which lasted about a month, had support from government and
settlers. The Aborigines’ Protection Board provided rations. Beef was
provided by a local pastoralist. The fact that Mathews replicated an earlier
published article in this fashion was damaging to his professional standing.
During his early years as an anthropologist he developed a reputation for
submitting to journals articles he had previously published. This article
should be read in conjunction with two other papers: ‘Additional Remarks
Concerning Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1896) and ‘The Bora,
or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (Part II)’ (1896). They
were written after Mathews personally visited ‘Gundabloui’, gathering
further information which alerted him to limitations in Crawley’s reportage.
He was therefore compelled to revise certain opinions and to greatly enlarge
his account of the ceremony. Further information on the Kamilaroi bora is
also contained in three other articles: ‘Phallic Rites and Initiation
Ceremonies of the South Australian Aborigines’ (1900); ‘Notes on the
Aborigines of New South Wales’ (1907); and ‘Notes on the Australian
Aborigines’ (1907). For a map of the ceremony described in this paper see
Plate 27 of Mathews’ article ‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896)
and the explanatory notes on pp. 315-16.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Kamilaroi
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. 'Gundabloui' NSW
2. County of Finch NSW
3. Moonie River NSW
4. Barwan River NSW
5. Gnoura Gnoura Creek
6. Kunopia on the Boomi River, County of Benarba
7. Mogil Mogil
8. Collarenebri
9. Walgett
10. Mungindi
11. Welltown
12. Moonie
13. St. George
14. Mungaroo
INFORMANTS
1. 'Many of the blacks who attended this Bora' (427).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Drawing - Bora ground (410).
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
Not applicable.
CROSS-REFERENCES
Corrections made in ‘Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at
Gundabloui in 1894’ (1896).
A sequel to this article was published as 'The Bora, or, Initiation
Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2' (1896).
For a map of the ceremony described in this article see Plate 27 of Mathews’
article ‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896) and the explanatory
notes on pp. 315-16.
New data concerning this ceremony was reported in 1900, 'Phallic Rites and
Initiation Ceremonies of the South Australian Aborigines':635 […].
'Notes on the Aborigines of New South Wales' (1907) contains this remark:
18-19 - 'It should be explained that during recent years, when the blacks
can obtain food from the white people, a Bora lasts much longer than in the
old, wild times, when a native's life was one long struggle for subsistence.
For example, the Bora which took place at Gundabloui, in 1895, lasted about
three months, because the Aborigines' Protection Board supplied rations to
the aged blacks and the children, besides which the manager of Gundabloui
station, close by, gave them an allowance of beef all the time. The natives
who held the Bora at Tallwood, in 1895, were likewise supplied with food by
the white residents of the district, and consequently the meeting ws
prolonged for some months. I myself contributed liberally to the
commissariat of the blacks who came to the Tallwood Bora. A severe drought
was prevailing throughout the district at the time, and some of the old
natives confided to me that they would make the Bora last as long as they
could get provisions from the Europeans.'
'Notes on the Australian Aborigines' (1907) refers to this ceremony and
gives additional information on Baiamai.
‘Description of Two Bora Grounds of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1918)' describes
the bora ground at Gnoura Gnoura Creek, briefly mentioned in this article.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
(1896)
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes (1897)
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 27
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1896
Title: Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora held at
Gundabloui in 1894
Journal: Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South
Wales
Volume: 30
Pages: 211-213
Keywords: Baiame - stories and motifs
Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This brief article is an adjunct to Mathews’ earlier
publication ‘Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1894). (It
therefore also informs the nearly identical ‘The Bora, or Initiation
Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ [1895]). In the present article Mathews
states that after publishing his account of the Kamilaroi initiation
ceremony, in which data were supplied by the police officer J. T. Crawley,
he decided to ‘travel into the district’ in which the bora took place ‘and
make personal enquiries among the tribes who had been present at it.’ As
well as supplying a long paragraph of minor corrections to ‘Aboriginal Bora
held at Gundabloui in 1894’, this article provides an important insight into
the way Aboriginal traditions were adapting under conditions of colonisation.
Contrary to his earlier published statement (which is quoted from the
settler James A. Glass), Mathews now states that an old man mentioned in the
earlier publication, a ‘half-caste named Billy Clark’ who lived on the
Barwon River, could not have been initiated. He was advised by senior
Kamilaroi men that ‘some thirty or forty years ago, half-castes were not
allowed to go through the Bora ceremonies—that innovation having crept in
after the half castes became numerous.’ For a map of the ceremony described
in this paper see Plate 27 of Mathews’ article ‘The Burbung of the
Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896) and the explanatory notes on pp. 315-16.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Kamilaroi
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Mogil Mogil
2. Gundabloui
3. Tallwood QLD
INFORMANTS
1. 'a correspondent residing at Mogil Mogil' (211).
2. 'the tribes who had been present at [the Bora] (212).
3. Mr. J. A. Glass? who referred to 'a half-caste named Billy Clark' (see
'other notes') (212).
CORRESPONDENTS
1. 'a correspondent residing at Mogil Mogil' (see 'other notes') (211).
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. 1894 paper to Royal Society of New South Wales on Gundabloui Bora (211).
2. Anthropological Institute of Great Britain article on initiation
ceremonies, written so that 'the subject might be prominently brought before
the members of that body, for comparison with the initiation ceremonies in
other countries' (211-2).
3. Further paper submitted to Anthropological Institute of Great Britain as
a supplement to the first (212).
4. Article on Tallwood Bora submitted to Royal Society of Victoria (213).
CROSS-REFERENCE
A sequel to the original article was published as 'The Bora, or, Initiation
Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2' (1896).
For a map of the ceremony described in this article see Plate 27 of Mathews’
article ‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896) and the explanatory
notes on pp. 315-16.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
Reference Type: Edited Book**
Record Number: 32
Editor: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1896
Title: Australian Ground and Tree Drawings
Series Title: American Anthropologist
Volume: 9
Keywords: Baiame - stories and motifs
Sand and ground designs
Tree carvings
Abstract: By the time this article was printed in 1896, Mathews had
published five papers on rock art. But this was the first to specifically
discuss ground and tree drawings, many of which were produced by Aboriginal
people for ceremonial purposes. The article commences by reviewing
literature on this subject. Numerous authors are quoted including William
Ridley, E. M. Curr and A. W. Howitt. The most original parts of the article
are those in which Mathews provides detailed descriptions of ground and tree
drawings that he has personally observed in New South Wales. They are
illustrated in a black and white plate. The art discussed was observed on
Gnoura Gnoura Creek near the town of Kunopia (the work of Kamilaroi people)
and on Bulgeraga Creek, a branch of the Macquarie River (the work of
Wiradjuri people). Mathews also illustrates and describes some of the motifs
cut into the ground at Gundabloui for the ceremonies described in his
article ‘The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1895)
and related publications. […]. Mathews reveals that European materials were
being used in one of the tree drawings described: ‘[m]y aboriginal guide
told me the blue colour here used was obtained from white people, and is
that used in washing clothes.’ He does not name his Aboriginal informant(s)
in the article. However, in ‘Description of Two Bora Grounds of the
Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1918) Mathews again described his visit to Gnoura Gnoura
Creek and stated that two Kamilaroi men, Billy Wightman (which he had
previously spelled Whiteman) and Jimmy Gular, had showed him around the
site.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Kamilaroi
2. Wiradthuri
3. Port Macquarie tribe
4. Breeaba
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Wellington, NSW
2. Cape York Peninsula, QLD
3. County of Karkarooe, VIC
4. Bega, NSW
5. Moonie River
6. Nindigully
7. Lower Gilbert River
8. Gulf of Carpentaria
9. Townsville, QLD
10. Charters Towers, QLD
11. Herbert River, QLD
12. Hinchinbrook Island
13. Dungeness
14. Beltana, SA
15. Gnoura Gnoura Creek, NSW
16. Kunopia, Parish of Boonanga, County of Benarba, NSW
17. Macquarie River
18. Parish of Wullamgambone, country of Gregory, NSW
19. Parish of Gundabloui, County of Finch, NSW
20. 'Gundabloui', NSW
21. Castlereagy River
22. Barwan River
23. Lachlan River, NSW
24. Wollombi district, NSW
25. Prince Regents River, WA
26. Marchant Springs, SA
27. Finke River, SA
28. Lower Murrumbidgee River
29. Murray River
30. Darling River
31. Diamantina River, QLD
32. Leichardt River, QLD
33. Bulgeraga Creek, Parish of Wullamgambone, NSW
INFORMANTS
1. Mr. J. K. McKay (35) 'informs me that ... he saw a figure made by the
aborigines on the right bank of Moonie river' (35).
2. 'A gentleman who has been engaged on stations in northern Queensland'
(37).
3. Mr. J. W. Fawcett (37).
4. Mr. S. Gason, of Beltana, South Australia (37).
5. Mr. C. Winnecke (37).
6. 'My aboriginal guide' (43)
7. 'old residents of the back country' in QLD (47)
CORRESPONDENTS
1. 'A gentleman who has been engaged on stations in northern Queensland'
(37).
2. Mr. J. W. Fawcett (37).
3. Mr. S. Gason, of Beltana, South Australia (37).
4. Mr. C. Winnecke (37).
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Plate of line drawings showing 36 figures - 'Australian ground and tree
drawings'.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Refers to 'recording and describing with some measure of success the rock
pictures of the Australian aborigines' (33).
2. Refers to work on Bora at Gundabloui (34).
3. Refers to description of figures '[i]n my paper on 'The Bora or
Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe'...' (36).
4. Refers to description of gigantic iguana figure '[i]n my paper on an
'Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894' ... ' (36).
5. Refers to figures provided in paper 'The Bora or Initiation Ceremonies of
the Kamilaroi Tribe' (39).
6. Refers to marked trees in paper 'The Bora or Initiation Ceremonies of the
Kamilaroi Tribe' (43).
7. Refers to […] figures […] described in paper 'The Bora or Initiation
Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe' (48).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
‘Description of Two Bora Grounds of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1918)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 37
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1896
Title: The Bora of the Kamilaroi Tribes
Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria
Volume: 9 (new series)
Pages: 137-73
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This is the second article Mathews published in the
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. W. Baldwin Spencer with whom
Mathews was on friendly terms at this time communicated it to the society on
10 September 1896. (They afterwards became bitter enemies.) The article is a
detailed description of a Bora or initiation ceremony, conducted by
Kamilaroi people who were gathered near 'Tallwood' Station, a pastoral
property on the Weir River in southern Queensland. In March 1895 Mathews
learned from a correspondent that Aborigines were gathering for the
ceremony. He promptly made the journey to 'Tallwood' Station where he met
various elders, some of whom he had known while surveying in this part of
the country in 1875 and 1876. Mathews claims that ‘they received me as one
of the initiated, and admitted me to all their secret meetings.’ Presumably
the meetings referred to were preparatory to the initiation proper. The
commencement of the actual ceremony was delayed by the late arrival of some
of the participating tribes and Mathews was obliged to leave before it
began. Despite this setback, Mathews provides a comprehensive description of
the ceremony. His data were collected during interviews with the head men in
which he asked them ‘to fully describe every part of the ceremonies, which I
took down in detail in a note-book which I carried for the purpose.’ On
several occasions the initiated men reproduced parts of the ceremony for
him. A local white man also contributed by providing certain details. The
bulk of the article narrates the course of the ceremonial activities: […].
The article contains important evidence of the ways in which Aboriginal
culture was adapting under conditions of colonisation. Mathews states that
[…] symbols drawn from the Europeans were incorporated into the iconography
of the ceremony. Some of the senior men named in this article, including
Moogan Billy and Jack Bagot, had participated in the 1894 Bora ceremony at
‘Gundabloui’ station, described by Mathews in ‘Aboriginal Bora held at
Gundabloui in 1894’ (1894) and related articles. Mathews says that he had
known these men while working at Mungindi where he laid out the township for
the Queensland government in 1880. Two bullroarers used in the 'Tallwood'
bora are described and illustrated in ‘Bullroarers used by the Australian
Aborigines’ (1897). In ‘Languages of Some Native Tribes of Queensland, New
South Wales and Victoria’ (1902) Mathews gives a list of words from a secret
or ‘mystic’ language […] which was spoken during the Bora. In ‘Les Indigènes
d’Australie’ (1902) Mathews theorised on the meaning of aspects of the
ceremony. In ‘Australian Tribes—their Formation and Government’ (1906)
Mathews recounts a story he heard while attending the 'Tallwood' bora. He
was told of a number of youths who had been killed as punishment for
absconding from a bora ceremony. Further information pertaining to this
ceremony can be found in Mathews’ booklet Notes on the Aborigines of New
South Wales (1907). There is a map of the encampment and a plate showing 54
tree carvings and ground designs associated with the bora.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Kamilaroi
2. Pickumbil language (Bigambil)
3. Kogai language (Gogai)
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Tallwood Station
2. Weir River
3. Narrabri
4. Mingindi
5. Tallwood run
6. Kunopia
7. Welltown
8. Goondiwindi
9. St. George
10. Mogil Mogil
11. Gundabloui
12. Mungindi
13. Barwan River
14. Gnoolama
15. Moonie River
16. Meroe
17. Redbank Creek
18. Guarardera Lagoon
19. Warrandine Creek
20. Warril Creek
21. Weir River, Parish of Tallwood, County of Carnarvon QLD
22. Moogan Run QLD
INFORMANTS
1. 'the head men, some of whom were known to me, having been acquainted with
them when surveying Crown lands in that part of the country in 1875 and
1876' (137).
2. 'correspondents' at Mungindi (138).
3. 'Moogan Billy, Jack Bagot, and other headmen with whom I had become
acquainted when I was camped at Mungindi in 1880, surveying that township
for the Queensland Government' (139).
4. 'old blackfellows' (148).
5. In reference to having once inspected an old disused Kamilaroi Bora
ground, Mathews says, 'my guide, who was an old blackfellow, [stated] that
when he was a young man the height of the wall was 'up to his knee'.
6. See cross-reference below.
CORRESPONDENTS
1. 'correspondents' at Mungindi (138).
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Refers to drawings 'which I have seen carved on rocks on the Hawkesbury
River' (145).
2. Work on Gundabloui Bora, Journal of the Anthropological Institute of
Great Britain (148).
CROSS-REFERENCES
'Notes on the Aborigines of New South Wales' (1907) contains these remarks:
18-19 - 'It should be explained that during recent years, when the blacks
can obtain food from the white people, a Bora lasts much longer than in the
old, wild times, when a native's life was one long struggle for subsistence.
For example, the Bora which took place at Gundabloui, in 1895, lasted about
three months, because the Aborigines' Protection Board supplied rations to
the aged blacks and the children, besides which the manager of Gundabloui
station, close by, gave them an allowance of beef all the time. The natives
who held the Bora at Tallwood, in 1895, were likewise supplied with food by
the white residents of the district, and consequently the meeting was
prolonged for some months. I myself contributed liberally to the
commissariat of the blacks who came to the Tallwood Bora. A severe drought
was prevailing throughout the district at the time, and some of the old
natives confided to me that they would make the Bora last as long as they
could get provisions from the Europeans.'
31 - Describes various bullroarers including that used at Tallwood.
'Australian Folk-Tales' (1909) refers to this article, stating that one of
the stories related was told 'to me by an old Kamilaroi black-fellow, named
'Jimmy Nerang,' whom I met at the Bora ceremony held at Tallwood in 1895.'
(485).
‘Languages of Some Native Tribes of Queensland, New South Wales and
Victoria’ (1902) describes the secret or 'mystic' language used in the
ceremony.
‘Australian Tribes—their Formation and Government’ (1906).
‘Les Indigènes d’Australie’ (1902) theorises on the meaning of the ceremony.
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 39
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1896
Title: The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe
(Part II)
Journal: Journal of the Anthropological Institute
Volume: 25
Pages: 318-39
Keywords: Baiame - stories and motifs
Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: As a sequel to Mathews’ publication ‘The Bora, or
Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1895), this article should
also be read in conjunction with the nearly identical ‘Aboriginal Bora held
at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1894). Whereas these earlier articles were drawn
from information supplied by a correspondent, the police officer J. T.
Crawley, the data presented here were gathered during a trip Mathews made to
the Bora ground in order to check certain details of the ceremony. Mathews
does not state when he made the journey by rail and stage coach to the town
of Mungindi on the New South Wales-Queensland border. It probably occurred
in 1895. From Mungindi he traveled by vehicle and horse to several
Aboriginal camps. Mathews tells how at ‘each of these camps I took some of
the initiated men into the adjacent bush and showed them the […] sacred
emblems given to me by the headman of the Wiradthuri tribe…’ This convinced
his informants that he was ‘acquainted with the esoteric mysteries of the
Bora’ and they treated him ‘as one who had been initiated, and gave me all
the further information I wished to obtain.’ The bulk of the paper corrects
or expands upon the 1895 article. This appears under the following
sub-headings: ‘Mustering the Tribes’; ‘The Camp’; ‘The Bora Ground’;
‘Preliminary Ceremonies’; ‘Surrendering the Boys to the Head-men’;
‘Departure of the Boys’; and ‘Return of the Boys’. Given that the data
presented here were gathered personally, it is likely to more authoritative
than the earlier accounts of this ceremony. For a map of the ceremony see
Plate 27 of Mathews’ article ‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896)
and the explanatory notes on pp. 315-16.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Kamilaroi
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Gundabloui
2. Mogil Mogil
3. Collybidgelah
4. Mungindi
INFORMANTS
1. Mr. J. T. Crawley, 'an officer of the New South Wales Mounted Police,
stationed at Mogil Mogil, not far from the scene of the Bora' (318).
2. 'a number of the men who had been at the Gundabloui Bora' (319).
CORRESPONDENTS
3. Mr. J. T. Crawley, 'an officer of the New South Wales Mounted Police,
stationed at Mogil Mogil, not far from the scene of the Bora' (318).
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. 1895 Bora paper (318). Mathews refers to this paper frequently, as the
current essay is to be read in conjunction with it.
CROSS-REFERENCES
For a map of the ceremony described in this article see Plate 27 of Mathews’
article ‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896) and the explanatory
notes on pp. 315-16.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 42
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1896
Title: The Bunan Ceremony of New South Wales
Journal: American Anthropologist
Volume: 9
Pages: 327-44
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This article is a detailed description of the Bunan, a male
initiation rite practised in New South Wales. The ceremony described here
was organised by people referred to by Mathews as ‘the Shoalhaven river
tribes’. He states that the last Bunan held in the area occurred ‘about
eight or ten years ago’ (circa 1886) in a bush clearing two and a half miles
from the ‘Cooloomgatta [Coolangatta] trigonometrical station’ near the mouth
of the Shoalhaven River on the NSW south coast. The article narrates the
course of this last ceremony. Mathews personally collected the data. He
states that in 1895 he had visited the site of the ceremony ‘with some
aboriginal natives’. With their guidance Mathews measured and mapped the
ceremonial grounds and associated motifs. His narrative is based on his
informants’ memories of the initiation which involved tooth avulsion. The
article opens by describing the site and its topographical setting. The
particulars of the ceremony are recounted under the following headings:
‘Gathering the tribes’; ‘Arrival of contingents’; ‘Taking away the boys’;
‘Ceremonies in the bush’; and ‘Return of the boys’. Mathews provides an
illustrative plate giving a map of the ceremony. It also depicts trees
carvings associated with the Bunan ground. Mathews published other material
based on direct inquiry among the Shoalhaven Aborigines. ‘Folklore of the
Australian Aborigines’ (1898) describes a belief concerning Coolangatta
mountain and the afterlife. Songs from the south coast Bunan were documented
in ‘The Thoorga Language’ (1901-02) and Notes on the Aborigines of New South
Wales (1907).
Notes: TRIBES
1. Wiradthuri community
2. Kamilaroi
3. 'Shoalhaven River tribes'
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Bulli
2. County of Wallace
3. County of Cowley
4. County of Murray
5. Murray River
6. Murrumbidgee River
7. Shoalhaven River
8. Tumut River
9. Yass
10. Queanbeyan
11. Braidwood
12. Cooloomgatta [Coolangatta] trigonometrical station
13. Cooloomgatta [Coolangatta] Parish
14. County of Camden
15. Broughton Creek
INFORMANTS
1. 'old men of Shoalhaven river' (327).
2. 'some aboriginal natives' (329).
3. 'my native guides' (330).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Line drawing (representations) of Bunan ceremony (329).
2. Portrait on page facing p. 327.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Reference to patterns cut into the soil which are 'similar to those shown
in the plates illustrating my papers describing the initiation ceremonies of
the Kamilaroi and Wiradthuri tribes' (330).
CROSS-REFERENCE
Notes on the Aborigines of New South Wales (1907) gives chants set to music
of Bunan songs.
‘The Thoorga Language’ (1901-02) gives chants set to music of Bunan songs.
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 44
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1896
Title: The Burbung of the New England tribes, New South Wales
Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria
Volume: 9 (new series)
Pages: 120-36
Keywords: Ceremonial objects - Bullroarers
Ceremonies - initiation
Kinship and marriage
Abstract: W. Baldwin Spencer communicated this article, read before
the Royal Society of Victoria on 9 July 1896, before hostilities developed
between Spencer and Mathews. The article is a detailed description of a
Burbung ceremony of male initiation, practised by Aboriginal communities
between Moonbi and Ben Lomond on the New England Tableland of northern New
South Wales. Mathews states that these people speak dialects known as
‘Nowan’ and ‘Yunggai’ and that their organisation of marriage is similar to
that of their western neighbours, the Kamilaroi. He acknowledges that even
with the New England region, there is considerable diversity in the
initiation ceremonies. Mathews states that he met many New England
Aborigines in the course of his surveying work. The article, he claims, is
‘the result of my own observations, and from information obtained from the
natives…’ He does not name his informants. The ceremony [is] described […].
Tooth avulsion was not practised—or had disappeared since European contact.
The description of the ceremony is arranged under the following
sub-headings: ‘The Main Camp and Burbung Ground’; ‘Mustering the Tribes’;
‘Taking away the Boys’; ‘Removal of the Main Camp’; ‘Ceremonies in the
Bush’; ‘Final Ceremonies’; ‘Conclusion’. Mathews states that the coastal
neighbours of the New England people practised an initiation ceremony known
as Keeparra. This was described in his article ‘The Keeparra Ceremony of
Initiation’ (1897).
Notes: TRIBES
1. Kamilaroi
2. Wiradthuri
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Moonbi
2. Ben Lomond
3. Walcha
4. Hillgrove
5. Oban
6. Bendemeer
7. Bundarra
8. Inverell
9. Hunter River
10. Clarence River
11. Severn River
12. Macintyre River
13. Gwydir River
14. Namoi River
INFORMANTS
1. 'the natives' (120).
2. 'several natives with which [sic] I am acquainted' (on tooth extraction
in other areas) (135).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Kamilaroi and Wiradthuri initiation ceremonies (121).
2. Tooth extraction (135).
3. Bora of Kamilaroi tribe (136).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
'The Murrawin Ceremony' (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 45
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1896
Title: The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes
Journal: Journal of the Anthropological Institute
Volume: 25
Pages: 295-318
Keywords: Baiame - stories and motifs
Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This article, published by the Anthropological Institute in
London, was one of numerous documentations of male initiation ceremonies in
New South Wales written by Mathews in the 1890s. He describes a ceremony
that was called in March 1893 by ‘the headman of the Macquarie river tribe’.
Over the next three months Wiradthuri (Wiradjuri) people from locations
including the Macquarie, Castlereagh, Bogan and Barwan (Barwon) rivers
gathered at a ceremonial ground on the branch of the Macquarie River known
as Bulgeraga Creek in the County of Gregory—a site previously discussed by
Mathews in his article ‘Australian Ground and Tree Drawings’ (1896). People
from Cobar, 120 miles away, also participated. The New South Wales
Aborigines’ Protection Board supplied rations for the 98 persons who
attended the ceremony. Mathews did not attend because widespread flooding
occurred during this period. He visited the site afterwards, travelling from
Sydney by train, stagecoach and horse. There he found ‘the headman of the
Macquarie tribe, 'Big Jimmy,' who is locally known among the white people as
the 'King,' and some old men…’ After preliminary discussions, they agreed to
show him ‘everything’ to do with the ceremony. The resulting article is
central to Mathews’ work on initiations, since it relates both the course of
the ritual and beliefs associated with it. He describes the […] institution
of the Burbung ceremony. The description of the ceremony is organised under
the following sub-headings: ‘Mustering the Tribes’; ‘Preliminary
Ceremonies’; ‘Principal Ceremony’; ‘General Remarks’; ‘Other Initiation
Grounds’; and three sections describing the three plates that illustrate the
article. The plates consist of: a map of the Burbung ground; illustrations
of the principal markings upon ground and trees associated with the Burbung;
a map of the Kamilaroi Bora ground described in ‘Aboriginal Bora held at
Gundabloui in 1894’ (1894) and associated articles. Mathews has also
included two maps (both on Plate 27) which concern not his own articles, but
descriptions of ceremonies published by A. W. Howitt in vols 13 and 14 of
the Journal of the Anthropological Institute. Mathews and Howitt would soon
become bitter enemies, but this article suggests that their relations were
at this time amicable, at least from Mathews’ point of view. Mathews
describes Howitt as a ‘friend and co-worker’ who kindly supplied the
sketches on which this plate is based. Mathews would expand his description
of this ceremony further in ‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II)’
(1897). In 1900 Mathews published another article, also titled ‘The Burbung
of the Wiradthuri Tribes’. It describes a ceremony that took place at a site
three miles from this one in June 1898.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Wiradthuri
2. Kamilaroi
3. Macquarie River Tribe
4. Bogan River Tribe
5. Murring
6. Kurnai
7. Moonie Tribe
8. St. George Tribe
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Murray River
2. Macquarie River
3. Bulgeraga Creek
4. Castlereagh River
5. Coonamble
6. Galargambone
7. Bogan River
8. Cannonba
9. Nyngan
10. Walgett
11. Barwan River
12. Bega River
13. Brogo River
14. County of Auckland NSW
15. McLennans Strait
16. Lake Wellington
17. Lake Victoria
INFORMANTS
1. ':Big Jimmy", who is locally known among the white people as the "King'''
(296).
2. 'one of the men who had discharged the duty of guardian to one of the
boys who had been initiated' (296).
3. 'An old man, who appeared to be a doctor or wizard (wooringimba)' (297).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Map - plan of Burbung ground, Parish of Wullamgambone, County of Gregory
2. Drawing - Burbung ground tree carvings
3. Drawing - Burbung ground
4. See cross-reference
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Paper on social organisation of Kamilaroi, Royal Geographical Society of
Australasia (295).
2. Kamilaroi Burbung, Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great
Britain (295).
CROSS-REFERENCES
Plate 27 and the explanatory notes on pp. 315-16 refer to the Kamilaroi Bora
ceremony described in 'Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894' (1894);
'The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895);
'Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894'
(1896); The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2
(1896).
'Australian Folk-Tales' (1909) gives the legend of Wahwee, 'a monster livng
in deep waterholes' which is illustrated here on p. 315.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
(1896)
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 41
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1897
Title: Bullroarers used by the Australian Aborigines
Journal: Journal of the Anthropological Institute
Volume: 27
Pages: 52-60
Keywords: Ceremonial objects - Bullroarers
Abstract: As well as contributing to an understanding of material
culture, this discussion of bullroarers provides important insights to
Mathews’ involvement in initiation ceremonies. The article commences with an
overview of bullroarers which, Mathews states, play a part in the ceremonial
life of many cultures. He describes the general shape and design of the
Australian instruments and gives a survey of literature in which they are
described. Mathews also gives practical advice on using a bullroarer. The
most original material in this article pertains to eastern Australia where
the bullroarer is a secret-sacred instrument […]. Mathews remarks on the
bullroarer used by the Kamilaroi people at the ceremony described in ‘The
Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1895) and states
various names by which it is known. An illustrative plate contains fifteen
line drawings of bullroarers, each of which is individually described. Two
bullroarers originated from the Oscar Ranges in the Kimberley district of
Western Australia. They were lent to Mathews, so he could illustrate them,
by a settler named W. W. Frogatt. One of the bullroarers illustrated was
given to Mathews by Kamilaroi people on the Weir River, Queensland.
Wiradthuri people of the Macquarie, Bogan and other rivers gave another to
him. Other bullroarers illustrated in the article belonged to Aboriginal
communities who lived along the following rivers: the Macquarie, Culgoa,
Hunter, Macleay rivers, Shoalhaven River, Clarence, Richmond, Macleay and
Bellinger rivers.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Mycoolon
2. Wiradjuri / Wiradthuri
3. Kamilaroi
5. Gooreenggai
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Macleay River
2. Nambucca River
3. Port Macquarie NSW
4. Port Lincoln, County of Flinders SA
5. Flinders River QLD
6. Lachlan River NSW
7. Lower Murrumbidgee River NSW
8. Lake Eyre SA
9. Kimberley WA
10. Twofold Bay NSW
11. Macquarie River
12. Paterson River
13. Bogan River
14. Weir River QLD
15. Tallwood
16. Culgoa River
17. Hunter River
18. Macleay River
19. Shoalhaven River
20. Murrumbidgee River
21. Townsville
22. Bellinger River
INFORMANTS
Not applicable.
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Drawing - Bullroarers used by the Australian Aborigines.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Various papers on initiation ceremonies (52).
RELATED ARTICLES
‘Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1894)
‘The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1895)
‘The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2’ (1896)
‘The Bunan Ceremony of New South Wales’ (1896)
‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896)
‘The Bora of the Kamilaroi Tribes’ (1896)
‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes’ (Part II) (1897)
‘The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes’ (1897)
‘The Keeparra Ceremony of Initiation’ (1897)
‘Initiation Ceremonies of the Murawarri and Other Aboriginal Tribes of
Queensland’ (1906-07)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 43
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1897
Title: The Burbung of the Darkinung Tribes
Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria
Volume: 10 (new series)
Pages: 1-12
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This article describes the male initiation ceremony
practised by the coastal tribes of Darkinung people in New South Wales whose
territory spreads ‘from Newcastle southerly to about Sydney.’ Mathews
acknowledges the existence of other language groups within the stated area,
naming the Wannungine and Darrook (Dharug) people. Given the inter-communal
character of initiation ceremonies, it is possible that the Burbung
described here was common to all these tribal groups. Mathews obtained his
data when visiting a ‘small remnant of the Darkinung Tribe’ who resided on
the Government Aboriginal Reserve twelve miles below Windsor on the
Hawkesbury River. Two old initiated men—Joe Booburra and Charley Clark—were
his informants. The description of the ceremony, which involved tooth
avulsion, is organised under the following headings: ‘The Main Camp and
Burbung Ground’; ‘Gathering the Tribes’; ‘Daily Performances at the Camp’;
‘Taking away the Novices’; ‘The Watyoor Camp’; ‘Ceremonies in the Bush’;
‘Return of the Novices’. Mathews believed that the Darkinung ceremony had
been influenced by the larger neighbouring communities of Kamilaroi and
Wiradjuri people.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Darkinung
2. Wattung
3. Wiradjuri
4. Kamilaroi
5. Darrook
6. Wannungine
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Hunter River
2. Jerrys Plains
INFORMANTS
Not applicable.
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Ground carvings (3).
2. Initiation rites of Kamilaroi, Wiradjuri (12).
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 47
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1897
Title: The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II)
Journal: Journal of the Anthropological Institute
Volume: 26
Pages: 272-85
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This is an adjunct to Mathews’ article ‘The Burbung of the
Wiradthuri Tribes’ (1896), also published in the Journal of the
Anthropological Institute. The paper concerns the ceremonial life of
Wiradthuri (Wiradjuri) people who occupy the Macquarie, Castlereagh and
Bogan rivers and also those who reside between the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee
rivers. Although Mathews is confident that many aspects of the Burbung
ceremony had been adequately explained in the first article, his intention
here is ‘to more fully describe the manner of removing the novices from the
main camp, and to supply comprehensive details of the important secret
ceremonies in the bush, these divisions of the subject having been rather
briefly defined in my former memoir.’ He expands upon these subjects in some
detail, describing the ritual of tooth avulsion and associated events. The
return of the boys to the main camp is also described. At the time of
writing Mathews was evidently on good terms with his eventual rival, A. W.
Howitt, whom he describes as ‘my friend and fellow worker’ when
acknowledging his description of the Kuringal ceremony. In 1900 Mathews
published another article, also titled ‘The Burbung of the Wiradthuri
Tribes’. It describes a ceremony that took place in June 1898 at a site
three miles from this one.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Wiradthuri
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Macquarie River NSW
2. Castlereagh River NSW
3. Bogan River NSW
4. Lachlan River NSW
5. Murrumbidgee River NSW
6. Twofold Bay NSW
7. Sydney NSW
8. Newcastle NSW
9. Cowra NSW
10. Barwon River
11. Murray River
INFORMANTS
1. 'the headmen of various tribes' (284).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Paper on Kamilaroi class system, Royal Geographical Society of
Australasia (284).
2. Initiation ceremonies in New South Wales, contributed to Anthropological
Society at Washington and appearing in American Anthropologist (284).
3. Abbreviated initiation ceremony (285).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 48
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1897
Title: The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee
Tribes
Journal: Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South
Wales
Volume: 31
Pages: 111-53
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: When he presented this paper to the Royal Society of New
South Wales on 7 July 1897, Mathews claimed he had already documented the
initiation ceremonies of about three fourths of the land mass of New South
Wales. This 42 page article is a further substantial contribution to the
documentation of ceremonial life. Again, it concerns a Burbung—a male
initiation ceremony practised by ‘the southern portion of the Wiradthuri [Wiradjuri]
community, whose initiation ceremonies differ in many respects from those of
their northern brethren.’ These communities ‘occupy the Murrumbidgee River
from Jugiong to Hay, extending southerly to the Murray; and reaching
northerly up the Lachlan River to about the effluxion of the Willandra
Billabong’. The particular initiation described here occurred at a site on
the bank of the Murrumbidgee River in the Parish of Waddi, County of Boyd,
in New South Wales. Mathews says that this Burbung ground has not been used
for more than twenty years and that the ‘works’ […] are more extensive than
those at other initiation sites still in use. The site was already badly
damaged by pastoral activities. Mathews says he acquired the data from ‘some
of the old black-fellows who had attended the last Burbung here’. The
description of the ceremony, which involves tooth avulsion, is organised
under the following headings: ‘The main camp and Burbung ground’; ‘Gathering
the tribes’; ‘Arrival of contingents’; ‘Daily ceremonies at the camp’;
‘Taking away the boys’; ‘The Thurrawonga camp’; ‘Ceremonies in the bush’;
‘Return of the boys’; and ‘Finishing ceremonies’. There is also an
explanation of the one woodcut illustration accompanying the article which
maps various features of the ceremonial ground. This paper is unique among
Mathews’ work on male initiation because it deals with the continuation of
the initiation process after the conclusion of the Burbung. It describes the
fate of the excised tooth […]. The paper predates Mathews’ disagreement with
A. W. Howitt whom he respectfully refers to as a ‘fellow worker’.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Wiradthuri
2. Darkinung
3. Kamilaroi
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Barwon River
2. Macquarie River
3. Castlereagh River
4. Bogan River
5. Lachlan River
6. Murrumbidgee River
7. Jugiong
8. Hay
9. Willandra Billabong
10. Murray River
11. Two-fold Bay
12. Hunter River
13. Upper Hunter River
14. Namoi River
15. Gwydir River
16. Macintyre River
17. Manning River
18. Macleay River
19. Clarence River
20. Moulamein
21. County of Culgoa
22. Barringun
23. Narrandera
24. Gundagai
25. Hillston
26. Upper Lachlan River
27. Parish of Waddi, County of Boyd
INFORMANTS
1. 'some of the old black-fellows who had attended the last Burbung held
here' (116).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Drawing (woodcut) - plan of Burbung ground (153).
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Wiradthuri Burbung to Anthropological Institute of Great Britain (111).
2. Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, Queensland, paper on
initiation ceremonies on Lachlan River (111-2).
3. Anthropological Society of Washington paper - Bunan of tribes adjoining
Wiradthuri (112).
4. Kuringal, abbreviated ceremony description (112).
5. Bora articles contributed to Anthropological Institute of Great Britain
and Royal Society of Victoria (113).
6. Keeparra ceremony description contributed to Anthropological Institute of
Great Britain, Royal Society of Victoria (113).
7. Wandarral initiation ceremony, contributed to Royal Society of Victoria
(114).
8. Two short papers on the Burbung of these tribes published by
Anthropological Institute of Great Britain (151-2).
CROSS REFERENCES
Illustration cross-references JAI vol 25 article.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
(1896)
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 90
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1897
Title: The Keeparra Ceremony of Initiation
Journal: Journal of the Anthropological Institute
Volume: 26
Pages: 320-40
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This article describes the Keeparra—a male initiation
ceremony practised by Watthungk, Molo, Birrapee, Bahree, Kutthack, Minyowa,
Carapath, Goreenggai and other tribes in New South Wales who inhabit
territory inland from Newcastle in the counties of Macquarie, Hawes,
Gloucester and Durham. The Keeparra described here was last held in 1889.
The location was a site near the settlement of Tinonee on a tributary to the
Manning River. This was property owned by the Australian Agricultural
Company. Mathews says he gained the information from ‘conversations which I
have had with very old black fellows’. The description of the ceremony,
which may have involved tooth avulsion (Mathews is uncertain on this point),
is organised under the following headings: ‘The Main Camp and Keeparra
Ground’; ‘Mustering the Tribes’; ‘Daily Performances at the Main Camp’;
‘Taking away the boys’; ‘The Kweealbang Camp’; ‘Ceremonies in the Bush’;
‘Return of the Boys’; and ‘Conclusion’. There is also an appendix on the
Dhalgai ceremony, a short or abridged form of the main initiation which was
sometimes held if there was insufficient time to conduct the longer ritual.
The paper is accompanied by an illustrative plate which maps the ceremonies
and shows the tree carvings associated with it.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Watthungk dialect
2. Molo dialect
3. Birrapee dialect
4. Bahree dialect
5. Kutthack dialect
6. Minyowa dialect
7. Carapath dialect
8. Goreenggai dialect
9. Kamilaroi
10. Wiradthuri
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Eastern coast of NSW
2. Newcastle, NSW
3. Macleay River, NSW
4. County of Macquarie, NSW
5. County of Hawes, NSW
6. County of Gloucester, NSW
7. County of Durham, NSW
8. Manning River
9. NSW
10. County of Gloucester, NSW
11. Stony Creek, NSW
12. Tinonee
13. George Town
14. Charity Creek
15. Gresford, NSW
16. Allyn River
17. Lewinsbrook, County of Durham
18. Tableland of New England
INFORMANTS
1. 'very old black fellows' (338).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Plate - line drawings of keepang ceremony.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. 'The information contained in the following pages is entirely new, and is
now published for the first time' (321).
2. Refers to earthen figures found on Bora and Burbung initiation grounds of
the Kamilaroi and Wiradthuri tribes and described elsewhere (322).
3. States future intentions: 'there appear to be some grounds for supposing
that the custom [of tooth extraction] was not universally carried out in the
district referred to. I am now making further investigations into this
matter, the results of which will be included in a subsequent paper' (338).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
The Murrawin Ceremony (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 157
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1897
Title: The Wandarral of the Richmond and Clarence River Tribes
Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria
Volume: 10 (new series)
Issue: 1
Pages: 29-42
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This paper, read before the Royal Society of Victoria 12
May 1897, is the last of the five articles Mathews published in the journal
of this organisation. It describes the Wandarral, a male initiation ceremony
performed by the Kahwall and Bunjellung people who resided near the Richmond
and Clarence rivers on the northeast coast of New South Wales. Mathews
documented the ceremony during discussions with ‘very old blackfellows’ of
the district. He chronicles the events of the ceremony, describing how
neighbouring communities are summoned, a camping ground established and how
the Wandarral ground is prepared. The initiation is described along with the
associated rituals and dances. Mathews states that this paper ‘completes a
series of articles communicated by me to different learned societies…in
which I have described the initiation ceremonies of about three-quarters of
the total area of the colony of New South Wales.’
Notes: TRIBES
1. Richmond River tribe
2. Clarence River tribe
3. Kahwall language
4. Bunjellung language
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Richmond River
2. Clarence River
3. Point Danger
4. Warrego River
5. Murrumbidgee River
6. Murray River
7. Cape Howe
INFORMANTS
1. 'very old blackfellows' in this district (41).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Several footnote references.
2. Articles published in Australia, Europe and America (41-2)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 14
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1898
Title: Aboriginal Ground and Tree Drawings
Journal: Science of Man
Volume: 1 (new series)
Issue: 8
Pages: 185-87
Keywords: Baiame - stories and motifs
Sand and ground designs
Tree carvings
Abstract: This is Mathews’ first contribution to Science of Man, a
magazine published by the Anthropological Association of Australasia.
Mathews seems to have regarded this publication less seriously than the
scientific journals in which he mostly published. In the bulk of his Science
of Man contributions, he reworked material published elsewhere. This is true
of this publication, as Mathews acknowledges in an explanatory note. The
article opens with an overview on the subject of ground and tree designs.
The bulk of the article involves description of 29 earth designs and tree
designs, all of which are illustrated. All were personally observed by
Mathews in various parts of New South Wales. They include many motifs seen
at ceremonial grounds […]. Some material in this publication has been drawn
from Mathews’ article ‘Australian Ground and Tree Drawings’ (1896).
Notes: TRIBES
1. Wiradjuri / Wiradjura [sic]
2. Kamilaroi
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. County of Karkarooe VIC
2. Moonie River
3. Nindigully
4. Beltana SA
5. Macquarie River
6. Parish of Wullamgambone NSW
7. County of Gregory NSW
8. Gnoura Gnoura Creek
9. Kunopia NSW
10. Parish of Boonanga NSW
11. County of Benarba NSW
12. Tallwood QLD
13. County of Carnarvon QLD
14. Parish of Gundabloui
15. Castlereagh River
16. Macintyre River
17. Culgoa River
18. Lachlan River
19. Murray River
20. Darling River
21. Diamantina River QLD
22. Leichardt River QLD
23. Bulgeraga Creek
INFORMANTS
1. Mr. J. McKay (185) who 'informs me that upwards of thirty years ago he
saw a figure made by the aborigines on the right bank of Moonie river'
(185).
2. Mr. C. Winnecke, of Adelaide 'informs me that it is a frequent pastime of
the natives … to select a clay-pan, and on its flat surface to outline
circles, squares … ' (185).
CORRESPONDENTS
1. Mr. J. McKay? (185)
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Drawing - tree carvings (187).
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Provides list at end of article, referring to work published in/by
Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain, Royal Society of
New South Wales, Anthropological Society of Washington, Royal Society of
Victoria (187).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
‘Description of Two Bora Grounds of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1918).
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 15
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1898
Title: Aboriginal Initiation Ceremonies
Journal: Science of Man
Volume: 1 (new series)
Issue: 4 and 9
Pages: 79-80 and 202-6
Date: 21 May 1898 and 21 October 1898
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This article appeared in Science of Man, a magazine
published by the Anthropological Association of Australasia. Mathews seems
to have regarded this publication less seriously than the scientific
journals in which he mostly published. In the bulk of his Science of Man
contributions, he reworked material published elsewhere. This is true of
this publication, as Mathews acknowledges in an explanatory note. The
article deals with the Kamilaroi Bora or male initiation ceremony. The
description is generalised and does not give any specific locations,
although a map of a generic Bora ground is included. Mathews admits
censoring some details (presumably those deemed obscene) now that he is
writing for a more general audience. The article is a synthesis of earlier
publications on the Bora. There are references to cannibalism in this paper
that do not occur in his more detailed descriptions. Fuller accounts of the
ceremony can be found in the following Mathews articles: ‘Aboriginal Bora
held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1894); ‘The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of
the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1895); ‘Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora
held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1896); ‘The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of
the Kamilaroi Tribe (Part II)’ (1896); and ‘The Bora of the Kamilaroi
Tribes’ (1896).
Notes: TRIBES
1. Kamilaroi
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
Not applicable.
INFORMANTS
Not applicable.
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Drawing - Plan of Kamilaroi Bora Ground (79).
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Refers to a 'few short reports which I have occasionally furnished to
scientific institutions' on the Kamilaroi Bora (see 'other notes') (79).
2. Aboriginal ground and tree drawings, published in Science of Man (202).
3. Kamilaroi Bora articles published in journals of Royal Society of New
South Wales, Anthropological Institute of
Great Britain, Royal Society of Victoria (see 'other notes') (206).
4. Bunan and Keeparra ceremonies of Shoalhaven tribes and Manning River
tribes (206).
5. Burbung of Wiradjuri community (206).
6. He states that 'In the several articles published in different journals,
I have described the initiation ceremonies of all the native tribes of New
South Wales' (206).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
‘Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894’ (1894)
‘The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe’ (1895)
‘Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894’
(1896)
‘The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (Part II)’
(1896)
‘The Bora of the Kamilaroi Tribes’ (1896)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 76
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1898
Title: The Group Divisions and Initiation Ceremonies of the Barkunjee
Tribes
Journal: Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South
Wales
Volume: 32
Pages: 241-55
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Kinship and marriage
Abstract: Uncharacteristically, Mathews decided on this occasion to
discuss male initiation ceremonies and the rules of kinship in a single
article. The community discussed is the 'Barkunjee Nation', the territory of
which is delineated on an accompanying map (which gets a three page
explanation at the conclusion of the article). The Barkunjee Nation,
according to Mathews, is situated along the Darling River north of
Wentworth. It encompasses Menindie (Menindee), Wilcannia, Louth, Tibooburra
and other localities. The map also depicts the surrounding Aboriginal
'nations' which are mentioned in the article. The section concerning
marriage rules, presented under the heading 'Group Divisions', is brief. It
states that the community is divided into two groups, Muckwarra and
Keelparra, who are required to marry each other. Mathews acknowledges that
E. M. Curr in The Australian Race was the first to publish this information.
Mathews states that there are specific totems associated with each of the
Barkunjee moieties. He also claims that the differing marriage rules of
Wiradjuri and Wimmera people are well understood by the Barkunjee 'who have
generally been on friendly terms' with their neighbours. There was frequent
intermarriage with members of both these communities. The section of the
article headed 'Initiation Ceremonies' is more extensive. It reports
divergent forms of male initiation within the Barkunjee territory including
depilation along the Darling River south of Menindee and circumcision in
other areas. Mathews states that data was provided by 'old blackfellows of
the Silverton, Broken Hill, and adjacent districts.' Various settlers are
also acknowledged including one of Mathews' sons who resided in Queensland.
The article also contains a four-page appendix. Titled 'Divisions of Some
North Queensland Tribes', it does not concern the Barkunjee. Rather, it
describes marriage customs in the Mycoolon, Myappe and Kalkadoon tribes of
North Queensland, elaborating on data presented in the paper 'Australian
Divisional Systems' (1898). In 'Divisions of Some Aboriginal Tribes,
Queensland' (1899) Mathews extrapolated on the Queensland data in the
appendix. In 'Ethnological Notes on the Aboriginal Tribes of Queensland'
(1905) Mathews elaborated on the kinship system of the Inchalachee or
Inchalanchee tribe. In 'Sociology of some Australian Tribes' (1905) Mathews
modified his view that the Australian moieties are exogamous. He requested
that '[i]n any of my previous articles…in which it may be stated that an
aboriginal community comprises "two exogamous divisions," the reader is
requested to substitute "two principal divisions."'
Notes: TRIBES
1. Barkunjee
2. Wiradjuri
3. Kamilaroi
4. Kogai-Yuipera nation
5. Narrinyeri
6. Unelgo
7. Koonoo
8. Bahroonjee
9. Byjerri
10. Marowera
11. Tungarlee
12. Karingma
13. Tatatha
14. Yerri Yerri
15. Latyoo Latyoo
16. Watthi Watthi
17. Yakayok
18. Inteck
19. Takadok
20. Merri language
21. Tongaranka
22. Mulyanappa
23. Endawarra
24. Berluppa
25. Kunatatchee
26. Kerrengappa
27. Wirramaya
28. Mycoolon
29. Myappe
30. Kalkadoon
31. Koogobathy
32. Warkeeman
33. Booburam
34. Shanganburra
35. Kookoowarra
36. Mularitchee
37. Chungi
38. Koochulburra
39. Koorabunna
40. Kooinmerburra
41. Wokelburra
42. Bangarang
43. Booandik
44. Dippil nation
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Murray River
2. Lower Murray River
3. Mount Murchison
4. Darling River
5. Menindie
6. Lower Paroo River
7. Lower Darling River
8. Wentworth
9. Swan Hill
10. Gnalta
11. White Cliffs
12. Lake Cobham
13. Milparinka
14. Lake Boolka
15. Tilcha
16. Lake Bulloo
17. Tibooburra
18. Delalah Downs
19. Balranald
20. Euston
21. Lake Tyrell
22. Wimmera
23. Lake Hindmarsh
24. Avoca River
25. Silverton
26. Broken Hill
27. Moorundie
28. Overland Corner
29. Yorkes Peninsula SA
30. Upper Mitchell River
31. Gilberton
32. Mitchell River
33. Gamboola Station
34. Hodgkinson River
35. Walsh River
36. Tate River
37. Lynd River
38. Einasleigh River
39. Etheridge River
40. Copperfield River
41. Gilbert River
42. Gulf of Carpentaria
43. Barron River
44. Herbert River
45. Burdekin River
46. Nicholson River
47. Johnstone River
48. Cairns
49. Cardwell
50. Halifax Bay
51. Hinchinbrook
52. Palm Isles
53. Broad Sound
54. Port Curtis
55. Dawson River
56. Fitzroy River
57. Medway Station
58. Bogantungan
59. Belyando River
60. Kennedy River
61. Princess Charlotte Bay
62. Moulamein
63. Balranald
64. Murrumbidgee River
65. Port Phillip
66. Mount Gambier
67. Euston
68. Avon River
69. Wimmera River
70. Lake Alexandrina
71. Coopers Creek
72. Dawson River
73. Upper Condamine River
INFORMANTS
1. Mr. Charles Lockhart 'told me that about the same period he drew
attention to the plucking out of the hair growing on the persons of the men'
(243).
2. 'old blackfellows of the Silverton, Broken Hill, and adjacent districts
(246).
CORRESPONDENTS
1. Mr. Dickson (251).
2. Mr. Shadforth (252).
3. Mr. W. H. Flowers of Medway Station, Bogantungan (253).
4. Information provided by Mathews' son in North Queensland (252).
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Map - Plan of the Barkunjee Nation
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri initiation ceremonies (247).
2. Divisions of Mycoolon, Myappe and Kalkadoon tribes (250).
3. Boundaries in Queensland (255).
CROSS REFERENCES
In ‘Divisions of Some Aboriginal Tribes, Queensland’ (1899) Mathews
extrapolated on the Queensland data in the appendix.
In ‘Ethnological Notes on the Aboriginal Tribes of Queensland’ (1905)
Mathews elaborated on the kinship system of the Inchalachee or Inchalanchee
tribe.
RELATED ARTICLES
'Divisions of Queensland Aborigines' (1898)
‘Divisions of Some Aboriginal Tribes, Queensland’ (1899)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 81
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1898
Title: Initiation Ceremonies of Australian Tribes
Journal: Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society
Volume: 37
Pages: 54-73
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: Although it is accompanied by a map delineating the various
male initiatory practices occurring throughout the entire territory of New
South Wales, this is not an overview of all Australian tribes. The text
provides a specific regional study of the Koombanggary tribe who inhabit
territory near the Clarence River in northern New South Wales. Mathews
states that this article 'completes a series of articles written by me on
the different types of initiatory rites of the aboriginal tribes scattered
over the whole of New South Wales.' The bulk of the article is a description
of the male initiation rite known as the Burbung. It describes the gathering
of the tribes and describes the course of the ceremony, thereby following
the general formula established in Mathews' numerous articles on this
subject. It concludes with an appendix titled 'The Nguttan Initiation
Ceremony', a five-page account of an 'abbreviated ceremony of initiation'
practised by the tribes of the Williams and Gloucester rivers in New South
Wales.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Koombanggary
2. Thangatty
3. Anaywan
4. Kamilaroi
5. Wiradjuri
6. Eetha-eetha dialect
7. Watthi-watthi dialect
8. Kianigani dialect
9. Yuppila dialect
10. Yota Yota dialect
11. Boorabirra dialect
12. Yookumble
13. Wallaroi
14. Pickumble
15. Yuollary
16. Wailwan
17. Moorawarree
18. Thurrawall dialect
19. Wodi Wodi dialect
20. Jeringin dialect
21. Ngarroogoo dialect
22. Beddiwell dialect
23. Mudthang dialect
24. Dhooroomba dialect
25. Gundungurra dialect
26. Wonnawal dialect
27. Darkinung dialect
28. Wannerawa dialect
29. Warrimee dialect
30. Wannungine dialect
31. Dharrook dialect
32. Wattung dialect
33. Gooreenggai dialect
34. Minyowa dialect
35. Molo dialect
36. Kutthack dialect
37. Bahree dialect
38. Karrapath dialect
39. Birrapee dialect
40. Bunjellung
41. Gidjoobal
42. Kahwul
43. Nowgyijul
44. Watchee
45. Yackarabul
46. Ngandowul
47. Barkunji
48. Bungyarlee
49. Bahroongee
50. Wombungee
51. Noolugo
52. Wamba Wamba
53. Waiky Waiky
54. Latjoo Latjoo
55. Mutti Mutti
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Clarence River
2. Nambucca
3. Macleay River
4. Tableland of NSW
5. Williams River
6. Gloucester River
7. Murray River
8. Barwon River
9. Mossgiel
10. Nyngan
11. Lower Murrimbidgee River
12. Euston
13. Hunter River
14. Cape Hawk
15. Darling River
16. Lower Paroo River
17. Warrego River
INFORMANTS
Not applicable.
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Map
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Refers to other probationary rites: the Murrawin and the Walloonggurra,
both of which he describes in separate articles (66).
2. States that this article 'completes a series of articles written by me on
the different types of initiatory rites of the aboriginal tribes scattered
over the whole of New South Wales' (66).
3. Mathews makes numerous references to his own work in terms of his
explanation of the map provided (67-9).
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 154
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1898
Title: The Victorian Aborigines: Their Initiation Ceremonies and
Divisional Systems
Journal: American Anthropologist
Volume: 11
Pages: 325-343
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This is Mathews' first article about the Aboriginal customs
of Victoria. An accompanying map establishes the territory dealt with in the
article. It covers the entire colony of Victoria and adjoining areas in New
South Wales and South Australia. Covering initiation rituals and kinship and
marriage regulations, the article is divided into four sections, each of
which deals with an Aboriginal 'nation': the Bangarang; the Kurnai; the
Booandik; and the Nurrinyeri. Defining the term nation, Mathews states:
'when several tribes are bound together by affinity of speech [etc] they
form communities, and aggregates of these communities may be designated
nations.' Data from a great variety of sources have been used in the
article. Aboriginal informants at Moulamein, Balranald and others along the
Murray are mentioned, though none by name. Nearly all the standard
commentaries of the period are cited including work by Howitt, Curr, Smyth,
Fison, Taplin et al. Mathews also acknowledges the assistance of some
non-Indigenous correspondents. 1898 was the year in which Mathews became
estranged from A. W. Howitt and his friends Lorimer Fison and W. Baldwin
Spencer. This publication may have contributed to the split. Howitt may have
regarded it as an unwelcome intrusion on his own anthropological territory.
It is noteworthy that Mathews makes critical (although not disrespectful)
comments on Howitt's views. He contests Howitt's conclusion that the kinship
system of the Bangarang Nation was determined by the father, basing his case
for uterine descent on the similarity between Bangarang and Wiradjuri
traditions. He also claims that Howitt's description of the Jibauk ceremony
was incomplete. In 'Sociology of some Australian Tribes' (1905) Mathews
modified his view that the Australian moieties are exogamous. He requested
that '[i]n any of my previous articles…in which it may be stated that an
aboriginal community comprises "two exogamous divisions," the reader is
requested to substitute "two principal divisions."'
Notes: TRIBES
1. Bangarang nation
2. Wiradjuri
3. Murrawin
4. Dhalgai
5. Walloonggurra
6. Nguttan
7. Kutja
8. Kurnai
9. Booandik nation
10. Narrinyeri nation
11. Barkunjee
12. Wimmera
13. Nalunghee language
14. Moorundie
15. Marwijjerook
16. Arkatko
17. Marowera
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Port Phillip
2. Tarwin River
3. Geelong
4. Murray River
5. Castlemaine
6. Jericho
7. Mount Tambo
8. Murrumbong station
9. Mitta Mitta
10. Campaspe (River)
11. Murray River
12. Ovens River
13. Goulburn River
14. Yarra River
15. Upper Goulburn River
16. Murrumbidgee River
17. Lacepede Bay SA
18. Leigh River
19. Mount Gambier SA
20. Glenelg River
21. Rivoli Bay
22. Border Town SA
23. Swan Hill VIC
24. Avoca River
25. Balranald
26. Tatiara country
27. Moulamein
28. Lake Alexandrina
29. Cape Jervis
30. Blanchetown
31. Lake Bonney
32. Chowilla
33. Overland Corner
34. Gambierton
35. Yorke Peninsula SA
36. Crystal Brook SA
37. Adelaide
38. Port Lincoln
39. Lake Hindmarsh
40. Wentworth
41. Euston
42. Spencer Gulf
43. Gulf of St. Vincent
44. Encounter Bay
45. Lower Lodden River
INFORMANTS
1. 'natives at different places in the valley of the Murray' (327).
2. 'Some old natives whom I once met at Moulamein' (335) (336).
3. 'Black fellows at Balranald' (333).
4. Information collected personally from Aborigines along the Narrinyeri.
CORRESPONDENTS
1. Mr. A. L. P. Cameron, of Murrumbong station (327).
2. Rev. P. Bogisch 'To the Rev. P. Bogisch of the mission station on the
Wimmera river, I am indebted for the accompanying list of totems' (333).
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Map - Map showing distribution of the tribes of Victoria (344).
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Work on Wiradjuri burbung (327 and 328).
2. Work on Wiradjuri burbung (335).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Some Initiation Ceremonies of the Aborigines of Victoria (1905)
Australian Ground and Tree Drawings (1896)
Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894
Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894 (1894)
The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe (1895)
The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2 (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1896)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II) (1897)
The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes
The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems (1898) (this article)
Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes (1901)
The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (1900)
'The Aboriginal Languages of Victoria' (1902)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 156
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1899-1900
Title: The Walloonggurra Ceremony
Journal: Proceedings and Transactions of the Queensland Branch of the
Royal Geographical Society of Australasia
Volume: 15
Pages: 67-74
Abstract: This article is a further addition to Mathews' substantial
corpus of writings on male initiation in New South Wales. He states that the
Walloonggurra is practised in the areas around the Orara, Boyd, Mitchell and
upper Clarence rivers in northern New South Wales. The people who practise
the ceremony are mostly speakers of the Koombanggherry and Bunjellung
languages. Mathews had previously published descriptions of the Keeparra,
Wandarral and Burbung ceremonies, also indigenous to northeast New South
Wales, however the Walloonggurra, he states, is of 'more than ordinary
interest, because it differs very widely in many particulars from similar
rites practised by tribes occupying other districts'. Mathews describes how
the tribes gather for the initiation and narrates the key events of the
ceremony, which involves the disclosure of the secrets […] to the young
initiates. Mathews says that he possesses 'very exhaustive notes of the
whole ceremony, gathered by myself among the natives' and that he plans to
write a more comprehensive description at a future time. It seems that this
plan was not fulfilled.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Koombanggherry
2. Bunjellung
3. Kamilaroi organisation
4. Barkunjee
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Orara River
2. Boyd River
3. Mitchell River
4. Upper Clarence River
INFORMANTS
1. 'the natives' (73)
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Refers to work on raised earthen circles of the Keeparra, Wandarral, and
Burbung 'described by me in former memoirs' (67).
2. States that aspects of the Walloongurra are 'similar in character to
others described by me in the initiation ceremonies of various other tribes'
(69).
3. States that this description of the Walloongurra is the first ever
published (73).
4. Refers the reader to his descriptions of the Burbung of the
Koombanggherry and Bunjellung tribes, in which article he supplies a map and
describes inaugural rites and totemic divisional systems (74).
5. He also refers to his paper on Barkunjee initiation ceremonies, also
accompanied by a map (74).
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 46
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1900
Title: The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes
Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland
Volume: 16
Pages: 35-38
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This is a further addition to Mathews' substantial corpus
of writings on male initiation in New South Wales. Although the title
repeats that of 'The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes' (1896) and 'The
Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II)' (1897), this is in fact an
entirely new article which describes a ceremony that occurred in June 1898.
The location was on the lower Macquarie River about three miles from the
site of the 1893 ceremony described in the aforementioned articles. About
200 people who came from Gulargambone, Coonamble, Trangie, Dandaloo, Dubbo,
Brewarrina, and Conkapeak attended the event. The description is brief. Much
of the article concerns the […] decorations associated with the ceremony.
Mathews states that tooth avulsion was 'formerly practised by these tribes,
but of late years it has fallen into disuse.' Mathews does not explain by
what means he acquired his information.
Notes: LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Bulgeragar Creek
2. 'Mole Country'
3. Lower Macquarie River, NSW
4. Parish of Wullamgambone, County of Gregory, NSW
5. Gulargambone
6. Coonamble
7. Trangie
8. Dandaloo
9. Dubbo
10. Brewarrina
11. Conkapeak
12. Barwon River
13. Murray River
INFORMANTS
Not applicable.
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Refers to having read a paper before the Anthropological Institute of
Great Britain in 1895, which 'was the first description of the inaugural
ceremonies of the Wiradthuri tribes' (35). Refers to contribution in 1896:
'a supplementary article containing further and more complete details' (35).
2. Refers to first article again: 'The general camp was erected about three
miles farther down … than the locality I visited and described in my first
article' (35).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
'Australian Ground and Tree Drawings' (1896)
'Additional Remarks Concerning Aboriginal Bora Held at Gundabloui in 1894'
(1896)
'Aboriginal Bora held at Gundabloui in 1894' (1894)
'The Bora, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe' (1895)
'The Bora, or, Initiation Ceremonies of the Kamilaroi Tribe: Part 2' (1896)
'The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes' (1896)
'The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes (Part II)' (1897)
'The Burbung, or Initiation Ceremonies of the Murrumbidgee Tribes' (1897)
'The Victorian Aborigines : Their Initiation Ceremonies and Divisional
Systems' (1898)
'Initiation Ceremonies of the Wiradjuri Tribes' (1901)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 120
Author: Mathews, R. H.; Everitt, M. M.
Year: 1900
Title: The Organisation, Language and Initiation Ceremonies of the
Aborigines of the South-East Coast of N. S. Wales
Journal: Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South
Wales
Volume: 34
Pages: 262-81
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Kinship and marriage
Language elicitation
Abstract: This was the second of the two articles in which Mathews
collaborated with another author. It was co-written with Miss M. M. Everitt,
a Sydney schoolteacher with an interest in Aboriginal languages. The article
describes kinship and marriage systems, language, initiation ceremonies and
other customs of southeast New South Wales. Although informants from various
language groups were consulted, most of the data concern the Gundungurra
tribes who lived in the Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands. The marriage
customs reported are unlike the moiety and section-based systems common
across most of Australia. The authors describe a practice of arranged
marriages similar to that which Mathews elsewhere described as the 'Tooar
organisation'. Gundungurra grammar is described in some detail. There is
also information on the 'Kudsha' or 'Narramang', an abridged form of
initiation ceremony. (Initiates then attend the 'Bunan', described in
Mathews' 1896 publication 'The Bunan Ceremony of New South Wales'.) Several
songs associated with the ceremony are transcribed. The following Aboriginal
informants assisted the authors: Jerry Murphy of Bega; Steve of Braidwood;
Budthong of the Shoalhaven; Timberry (usually spelled Timbery) of
Wollongong; Ned Carroll of Goulburn; the late Jimmy Lownds; and Billy
Russell and Bessie Smith, both of the Burragorang. It is probable that
Everitt provided the linguistic material while Mathews provided data on
initiations and other customs. An erratum to this article appeared in volume
35 of the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales
which indicates that Everitt did not accompany Mathews on camping trip(s) to
the Burragorang Valley.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Gundungurra language
2. Dharrook dialect
3. Wiradjuri
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Hawkesbury River, NSW
2. Cape Howe, NSW
3. Blue Mountains, NSW
4. Hartley, NSW
5. Crookwell, NSW
6. Yass, NSW
7. Kiandra, NSW
8. Cooma, NSW
9. Braidwood, NSW
10. Bega, NSW
11. Shoalhaven, NSW
12. Wollongong, NSW
13. Goulbourn, NSW
14. Burragorang, on the Wollondilly River
15. Picton
16. Crockwell
17. Campbelltown, NSW
18. Liverpool, NSW
19. Camden, NSW
20. Sydney, NSW
INFORMANTS
1. 'a large number of different natives' (262).
2. 'Jerry Murphy', 'a native of Bega, and also a resident for many years at
Cooma' (262).
3. 'Steve' of Braidwood (262).
4. 'Budthong' of Shoalhaven (262).
5. 'Timberry' of Wollongong (262).
6. 'Ned Carroll' of Goulburn (262).
7. 'many others including some old women' (262).
8. 'Billy Russell', one of the natives of Burragorang (263).
9. 'Bessie Smith', one of the natives of Burragorang (263).
10. 'A very old blackfellow, named 'Jimmy Lownds,' only recently deceased'
(265).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. State that some errors in orthography 'will receive attention in a future
article' (276).
2. Mathews cheekily manages to slip in a reference to his own work on the
Bunan: '[t]he foregoing is a very brief outline of the initiation
ceremonies, the reader being referred for fuller details to the article on
the Bunan, written by one of us in 1896' (280).
CROSS-REFERENCES
The next issue, volume 35 of the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal
Society of New South Wales contained a correction to this article indicating
that Mathews alone camped in the Burragorang. It reads: 'Page 263, insert
after 'and,' and before 'camped' on line 2, 'one of us [R. H. Mathews]
having.'
RELATED ARTICLES
'The Bunan Ceremony of New South Wales' (1896)
'The Origin, Organization and Ceremonies of the Australian Aborigines'
(1900).
'The Gundungurra Language' (1901).
'The Thurrawal Language' (1901).
'Some Mythology of the Gundungurra Tribe, New South Wales' (1908).
'Some Rock Engravings of the Aborigines of New South Wales' (1910).
Thurrawal Grammar: Part I (1901)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 123
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1900
Title: The Origin, Organization and Ceremonies of the Australian
Aborigines
Journal: Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society
Volume: 39
Pages: 556-78
Keywords: Aboriginal settlement of Australia
Ceremonies - initiation
Circumcision
Kinship and marriage
Subincision
Territories and boundaries
Abstract: This is a significant article that synthesises and
interprets much of the data on kinship and initiation that Mathews had
published since 1893. Considering the entire Australian continent, Mathews
provides a speculative account of the arrival of the 'aboriginal races of
Australia', proposing that the various moieties and sections were once
separate tribes that amalgamated during successive periods of invasion. He
argues that aspects of this history are also reflected in the initiatory
rites. The article is a considered rebuttal of the 'group marriage' theory,
favoured by Mathews' rivals W. B. Spencer, A. W. Howitt and Lorimer Fison.
The article is accompanied by an important colour map that shows the
position of various Aboriginal 'nations' (defined as groupings that share
the same kinship systems and names). The map shows the distribution of the
two section marriage system as well as the four and eight part systems. It
also shows those 'remnant' nations that do not have sections or phratries,
instead using the 'Tooar' system of allocating spouses. The map also reveals
the boundaries of the various initiatory rites: tooth avulsion; circumcision
only; and circumcision followed by subincision. In 'Sociology of some
Australian Tribes' (1905) Mathews modified his view that the Australian
moieties are exogamous. He requested that '[i]n any of my previous
articles…in which it may be stated that an aboriginal community comprises
"two exogamous divisions," the reader is requested to substitute "two
principal divisions."'
Notes: TRIBES
1. Barkunjee
2. Yowerawarrika
3. Warkeemon community (also Warkemon?)
4. Wombya
5. Inchalachee
6. Wiradjuri
7. Kamilaroi
8. Darkinung
9. Thangatty
10. Dippil
11. Kooinmerburra
12. Kogai
13. Mycoolon
14. Goothanto
15. Koonjan
16. Joongonnjie
17. Arrinda
18. Yeeda
19. Ulperra
20. Adjadurah
21. Narrinyeri
22. Kurnai
23. Thurrawal
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Port Lincoln
2. Western Victoria
3. Barwon River and its tributaries
4. Southwest (?) corner of Queensland
5. Victoria River
6. Gulf of Carpentaria
7. Newcastle Waters in the Northern Territory
8. Spencer Gulf
9. Lower Murray River
INFORMANTS
Not applicable.
CORRESPONDENTS
1. Rev. N. Hey 'for his willing assistance' (576)
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Map of Australia, showing boundaries of the several nations of Australia.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. Refers to work on organisation of Warkeemon community in north-eastern
Queensland, 1898 (564).
2. Refers to work on organisation (specifically having discovered the eight
divisions) of Wombya tribe (565-6).
3. Mentions having contributed to descriptions of initiation ceremonies to
'different learned societies' (570).
CROSS-REFERENCES
In 'The Bora of the Kamilaroi Tribes' (1896) he says: […].' (153)
In 'Marriage and Descent in the Arranda Tribe, Central Australia' (1908) on
p. 99 (note) Mathews accused N. W. Thomas of plagiarising from the map in
this article in Kinship Organization and Group Marriage (1906).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
'The Wombya Organization of the Australian Aborigines' (1900)
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 126
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1900
Title: Phallic Rites and Initiation Ceremonies of the South
Australian Aborigines
Journal: Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society
Volume: 39
Pages: 622-38
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Circumcision
Subincision
Abstract: This is a continuation of Mathews' article 'Divisions of
the South Australian Aborigines' (1900). Dealing with the totality of South
Australia, it describes circumcision, subincision, female initiation,
scarification, depilation and other initiatory rites. The article is notable
for its candid discussion of sexual matters and for its data pertaining to
women. Mathews claims that cannibalism is practised in some areas of South
Australia. The title of the paper is a little deceptive in that information
presented under the heading 'Miscellaneous Phallic Rites' concerns the
Kamilaroi community of New South Wales. Mathews makes reference to a map of
South Australia, which was published, in 'Divisions of the South Australian
Aborigines' (1900). (In 1907 Mathews accused A. W. Howitt of plagiarising
this map.) In explaining how he obtained the information presented here,
Mathews states: 'I was appointed by the Government of South Australia land
surveyor in 1883 and a Justice of the Peace in 1884, both of which positions
I still hold, by which means I have had opportunities which would not
otherwise have occurred of carrying on my inquiries respecting the customs
of the aborigines in that colony.'
Notes: TRIBES
1. Narrinyeri
2. Booandik
3. Barkunjee
4. Adjadurah
5. Kamilaroi
6. Wiradjuri
7. Koombanggary
8. Dieyerie
9. Kokatha
10. Hillary
11. Kooyeeunna
12. Ahminie
13. Wonkaoora
14. Wonkamudla
15. Yowerawarrika
16. Yanderawantha
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Fowlers Bay
2. Port Lincoln
3. Port Augusta
4. Davenport Creek
5. Coopers Creek
6. Great Australian Bight
7. Gundabloui, Moonie River
8. Kimberley district
INFORMANTS
1. 'some of the old head-men present' (636).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. States that this paper is a continuation of the one 'contributed to this
Society ... on Divisions of the South Australian Aborigines' (622). He also
refers to the map supplied with the earlier article (622).
2. Refers to work on depilation ceremonies contributed to Royal Society of
New South Wales in 1898 (631-2).
3. States that he has traced […] of the natives in all the Australian
colonies' (636).
4. Refers to previous article on the Boballai. See note 11, 'other notes'
(636).
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
'Literature relating to Australian Aborigines [Letter to the Editor]' (1907)
'Divisions of the South Australian Aborigines' (1900)
'Ethnological Notes on the Aboriginal Tribes of New South Wales and
Victoria' (1905) - from p. 174 there is photo and information said to
supplement this paper.
Reference Type: Journal Article**
Record Number: 152
Author: Mathews, R. H.
Year: 1900
Title: The Toara Ceremony of the Dippil Tribes of Queensland
Journal: American Anthropologist
Volume: 2 (new series)
Pages: 139-44
Keywords: Ceremonies - initiation
Abstract: This article describes the Toara, a male initiation
ceremony practised in southern Queensland. The country in which it occurs
runs from Port Curtis south to the New South Wales border, extending inland
to include the valley of the Dawson and upper Condamine rivers. Mathews says
that the main languages spoken in the area are Dippil, Turrubul, Kahbee,
Goonine, Kurranga and Kanalloo. He gives the general name 'Dippil' to this
grouping of tribes because '[t]heir language is the most widespread and best
known.' The ceremony involves a gathering of various communities who are
summoned by messengers […]. The ceremony occurs in a forest clearing and
involves tooth avulsion. The secret […] is revealed to the boy […]. A boy
must pass through several Toaras before he can marry. Mathews does not name
his Aboriginal informants, but claims that the account was personally
'gathered from the natives'.
Notes: TRIBES
1. Dippil
2. Turrubul
3. Kahbee
4. Goonie
5. Kurranga
6. Kanalloo
LOCATIONS MENTIONED
1. Port Curtis
2. Dawson River
3. Condamine River
INFORMANTS
1. 'the natives' (139).
CORRESPONDENTS
Not applicable.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Nil.
REFERENCE TO OWN WORK
1. States that '[t]he remainder of the ceremony will be passed over as
briefly as possible, because the procedure closely resembles corresponding
parts of the ritual elsewhere described in detail' (144), but does not
mention where this detail appears.
2. Similarly refers to particulars relating to mythology, sacrifice and
restrictions, but again does not mention where these details appear (144).