THE RAIN MAKER

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1928, Page 7

THE RAIN MAKER

'Plic rain milker takes that place among the Australian aboriginals usually occupied by the witch doctor or medicine man ot other dark races (says a writer in the Alclhoune Age). He. it would seem, succeeds to office limre on account of age and “bora” stand.ng in the tribe rather than by occult Knowledge, although lie is supposed to be well versed in the black art and the folk-lore of the tribe. He is. according to his own showing, the maker • of eharms both good and evil, the associate of evil spirits and Alcooringa (the totemic ancestors). 11 is chief office is that of rain maker, however, and if he proves unsuccessful for a longer period than is compatible with the well-being ol his tribe, he is often deposed in favour of another aspirant for many covet the office. It is noticeable that he rarely commences his incantations before the storm season is due to break. That ho keenly watches every chance of weather is evident,, for by deduction and c.\|>ericnce he can forecast, rain some hours before the event, hut, like his white brother, the meteorologist, he makes mistakes, although such blunders weigh us lightly upon his conscience as they do ujkiii that, of the white scientist. There are certain ceremonies to lie gone through in the aboriginal ritual at the beginning of the wet season, and to omit tlicwc would, it is believed, bring upon the tribe the wrath of the totemic ancestor. The rain maker must visit every gully, creek, and river in the tauri (country), belonging to the tribe, and wherever he finds a pool of water (they are not numerous at that time of the year in Cape York Peninsula) spring or running stream, lie must enter the water facing down stream, and with his hand heat the water through his extended legs up against the natural How of the water course. At the same time he mutters incantations which to the uninitiated seem weird and unholy. At times the rain maker will impress luhrus into liis service, more especially when the heat is greatest, and the need for rain is greatest. To these lie will delegate the strenuous task of beating the water,, while lie promenades the bank of the water-course, invoking the tribual ancestor. Jimmy (his real name was Koom-Badgee-Kori, hut we call him Jimmy for short) was a great rain maker. He stood high in the estimation of his tribe, who considered he could draw moisture from a cloudless sky. For some reason he attached himself to me. and was delighted when I desired his services as a moisture purveyor. If the weather was propitious he would start in at once, and it- must be admitted that on several occasions lie brought off the deal, hut there were times when, with all the accessories to hand for a deluge-great clouds banking up in the right quarter, vivid fightings. and crescendo peals of thunder, which seemed to shake the very foundations of the universe; these coupled with Jimmy’s most awful incantations and gesticulations proved of no avail, a gust of wind altered the course of the storm, and the whole lliiiig blew over, On these occasions Jimmy showed the metal of which lie was made; far from being disconcerted he would smile, accept the stick of trade tobacco, and with the sage remark. ‘Bitne-by lie come up,” he would betake himself to his camp, I here to feast and corroborec and live up to his reputation.