A universally practised custom amongst the natives of New South Wales and Victoria was also to carry the dried hand of a deceased person around, in some cases of a friend or relative, in other cases of an enemy. Indeed, all Australian tribes I have met have an unshakable believe in the helpful influence of some part of a human corpse in everyday life as well as during hunting undertakings or raids on their enemies. First the results of my own observations are recounted, followed by reports of early colonists, which go back to the 1860s and 70s.

Some old men of the Darkiñung and Thurrawal tribes in New South Wales have told me that their forefathers used to have the firm belief that the wearing of dried or preserved hands was an effective protection against their enemies. Such an amulet was carried in a small bag, which was tied over one shoulder and hung under the armpit of the other. Sometimes a dried hand was tied to the neck with a string and hung down to the chest. Another dried hand could also be attached to the neck band and hung on the back of the wearer between the shoulder blades.

When an evil-minded individual or a hostile gang of several people came to inconvenience the wearer of this amulet, he assumed he was scratched by the preserved hand, or had the skin made mangy, on the side of the body from which the enemy had come. For example, if a man thus equipped was scratched by the dried hand which he wore on his chest, then he knew that an enemy was somewhere in front of him. If the hand hung between the shoulder blades pinched the wearer, then the enemy was somewhere at the rear. Then, if the amulet he carried under the armpit showed signs of agitation, an adversary was nearing from this direction, and so forth. A sudden twitching of the muscles or an irritation of the skin, the blacks would understand to have been brought about by the preserved hand, and it gives them a warning towards that side. If a man wears only one such appendage it is believed that it has the power to give him the signal, from whichever side of the body danger might come, without him being aware that it has moved from its usual place as its movements are regarded as invisible.

These dried hands in the same way have the power to give warnings about harmful magic of a hostile wizard, whether he is located far or near, and enable the wearer of the amulet to fend off the intended misdeed. When the wizard performing the magic is near, the hand is clearer in its warning than when he is far away. The proximity of game and its direction are also indicated in the same way.

It is not absolutely necessary that the amulet consist of a hand; parts of a foot or a hand, parts of flesh from arms and legs or the back are regarded as a very effective protective magic in different ways, as is reported below.

Searching for usable grazing land in Gippsland, Victoria, A. MacMillan suddenly came upon an old black, who was not to be got rid off. ‘The only ornaments he wore were three hands of men and women, beautifully dried and preserved.’^[13]

W. J. Mollison from Pyalong, Victoria, learned that ‘[t]here are traditions of portions of the body, usually hands or fingers, being observed in the lubras’ bags … Certainly, in conversation, they admitted the fact’.^[14]

Hugh Jamieson^[15] from Mildura, Victoria, said under a report dated 10 October 1853, but concerning much earlier experiences amongst the natives: ‘On some occasions, in accordance with superstitious rite, they carry about with them the legs, arms, and pieces of the skin of their victim, not for the purpose of eating these, but with the view of distribution as charms for fishing operations.’

Dr J. Fraser from Maitland said in his report about the murder of some white shepherds many years before at the upper Williams River, New South Wales: ‘One old gin [woman] carried about with her in her shoulder-net a hand of one of these shepherds; she would bring it out at times, and pulling the sinews make the fingers move, and say “Bail (no) you make doughboy any more”. For this murder one of the blacks was afterwards hanged at Dungog.’^[16]