vouched for by Mr. C.
J. Du Ve, in Australia. In the year 1860, a Maneroo black fellow died in
the service of Mr. Du Ve. "The day before he died, having been ill some
time, he said that in the night his father, his father's friend, and a
female spirit he could not recognise, had come to him and said that he
would die next day, and that they would wait for him. Mr. Du Ye adds
that, though previously the Christian belief had been explained to this
man, it had entirely faded, and that he had gone back to the belief of
his childhood." Mr. Fison, who prints this tale in his Kamilaroi and
Kurnai,(2) adds, "I could give many similar instances which have come
within my own knowledge among the Fijians, and, strange to say, the
dying man in all these cases kept his appointment with the ghosts to the
very day".

(1) It may, of course, be conjectured that the French introduced this
belief into New Caledonia.

(2) Page 247.

In the Cruise of the Beagle is a parallel anecdote of a Fuegian, Jimmy
Button, and his father's ghost.

Without entering into a discussion of ghosts, it is plain that the kind
of evidence, whatever its value may be, which convinces many educated
Europeans of the existence of "veridical" apparitions has also played
its part in the philosophy of uncivilised races. On this belief in
apparitions, then, is based the power of the savage sorcerers and
necromants, of the men who converse with the dead and are aided by
disembodied spirits. These men have greatly influenced the beginnings
of mythology. Among certain Australian tribes the necromants are called
Birraark.(1) "The Kurnai tell me," says Mr. Howitt, "that a Birraark
was supposed to be initiated by the 'Mrarts (ghosts) when they met
him wandering in the bush.... It was from the ghosts that he obtained
replies to questions concerning events passing at a distance or yet to
happen, which might be of interest or moment to his tribe." Mr. Howitt
prints an account of a spiritual seance in the bush.(2) "The fires were
let go down. The Birraark uttered a cry 'coo-ee' at intervals. At
length a distant reply was heard, and shortly afterwards the sound as of
persons jumping on the ground in succession. A voice was then heard in
the gloom asking in a strange intonation, 'What is wanted?' Questions
were put by the Birraark and replies given. At the termination of the
seance, the spirit-voice said, 'We are going'. Finally, the Birraark was
found in the top of an almo