ence. The suit of woe was, as in China, white, pipe-clay being daubed over the body, not in the grotesque and waving lines used in equipment for dance or war, but in large unsightly masses.
When death took place there was often suspicion of sorcery in a neighbouring tribe, and the karadgy, or leech and sorcerer, of the tribe of the deceased was called upon to divine the cause, and point out the quarter whence it came. In Western Australia the sorcerer (or boylya) watched the fumes arising from leaves and twigs thrown into a grave prepared for the deceased, and was deemed capable of seeing, although hidden from common eyes, the way in which the aroused evil spirit would wing its flight. It would go to the quarter whence the offence had come. War and reprisal would ensue with the tribe which lived in that direction. In South Australia the body was opened, and, on examination of the entrails and omentum, it was decided whether foul play had been used. Sometimes the wise men received intimations without these practices, but the witenagemote had always to determine what steps should be taken to avenge the death. Revenge was a sacred duty.
The raising of ridges on the skin, prevalent in many tribes, was unpractised in others. As the man became a warrior he added to his adornments. The women also had their peculiar marks, but it does not appear that they were compelled to be scarred. The men were proud of scars which indicated hardihood. The face was never disfigured.
Many travellers were astonished to find in caves figures of men and of animals vividly painted with some art and great care. On the sides of rocks heads and hands of gigantic size have been often seen. Governor Phillip wrote (May, 1788) that he saw figures of men, "shields, and fish roughly cut on the rocks, and on the top of a mountain I saw the figure of a man in the attitude they put themselves in when they are going to dance, which was much better done than I had seen before, and the figure of a large lizard was sufficiently well done to satisfy everyone what animal was meant. Flinders described these paintings on rock, which he saw on Chasm Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Subsequent explorers, Allan Cunningham, Captain Grey,
