pared with his status outside, when he would be protected by nothing. The Beduin have the same notion. They are ruthless robbers and murderers, but a guest in the tent is perfectly safe and entitled to their best hospital- ity, When he leaves it he is fair game, whether enemy, friend, or neighbor.[1]
The West-Australians have a usage that any man who has committed a wrong according to their code must sub- mit to a flight of spears from all who think themselves aggrieved, or he must allow a spear to be thrust through his leg or arm. There is a tariff of wounds as penalties for all common crimes.[2] We understand that this is an in-group usage. It is a common custom in Australia that a man who has stolen a wife from an out-group must sub- mit to a flight of spears from her group-comrades; this is now only a ceremony, but it is a peace-institution which has set aside old warfare on account of stolen women. As we have seen, the Australians live in very small groups, but they assemble from time to time in large kin-groups for purposes of festivals of a religious character. The kin-groups are not peace-groups,[3] be- cause they are loose and have no common life. At the assemblies all the sacred objects are brought into the ceremonial ground, but on account of the danger of quarrels, no display of arms is allowed anywhere near the sacred objects.[4] Bearers of messages from one tribe to another are regarded as under a peace-taboo in eastern Australia; women are under a peace-taboo and hence are employed as ambassadors to arrange disputes between tribes. After a quarrel there is a corroboree, to make and
1 Burchardt, J. L.: Notes on the Bedouins. etc., 90.
2 Grey. G.: Journals of Two Expeditioins of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, II, 243.
3 Curr: Australian Race, I, 69.
4 Spencer, B., and Gillen, F. J.: Native Tribes at Central Australia, 135.
