[Footnote 158: Spencer and Gillen, _Northern Tribes of Central Australia_, p. 297.]
[Footnote 159: Spencer and Gillen, _Northern Tribes of Central Australia_, p. 197.]
THE BELIEF IN IMMORTALITY AMONG THE OTHER ABORIGINES OF AUSTRALIA
[Sidenote: Customs and beliefs concerning the dead in the other tribes of Australia.]
In the last lecture I concluded my account of the beliefs and practices of the Central Australian aborigines in regard to the dead. To-day I propose to consider the customs and beliefs concerning the dead which prevail among the native tribes in other parts of Australia. But at the outset I must warn you that our information as to these other tribes is far less full and precise than that which we possess as to the tribes of the centre, which have had the great advantage of being observed and described by two highly qualified scientific observers, Messrs. Spencer and Gillen. Our knowledge of all other Australian tribes is comparatively fragmentary, and accordingly it is impossible to give even an approximately complete view of their notions concerning the state of the human spirit after death, and of the rites which they observe for the purpose of disarming or propitiating the souls of the departed. We must therefore content ourselves with more or less partial glimpses of this side of native religion.
[Sidenote: Belief in the reincarnation of the dead among the natives of Queensland. The _ngai_ spirits.]