BY RICHD. HELMS. 391 



After this the men would run some distance awa}^ and returning 

 swing the boughs with a swishing sound in a certain direction, 

 mentioning at the same time the name of the district towards 

 which they were pointing. This was repeated three times for 

 each of the various directions they might point to. Each name 

 mentioned was preceded b}^ the emphasised exclamation of "Wau- 

 Wau !" For instance, " Wau-Wau ! Tumut ;" " Wau-A¥au ! 

 Queanbeyan," &c., &c., which was followed at times by an exhorta- 

 tion or malediction. This indicated that the Wahu may go to these 

 districts as a friend and may have luck, or on the other hand that 

 in some of these directions lived the tribes with whom he would 

 have to carry on the hereditary feuds, for from henceforth he 

 Avas to be considered as being raised to the position of a warrior 

 in his own tribe. 



As soon as the initiation was completed, the women were again 

 admitted to the presence of the men, and dancing and corrobories 

 were held during the evening for the amusement of all, and more 

 particularly for the benefit of the visitors, of whom there were 

 generally a number present on these occasions. 



Manhood having now been conferred upon the newly initiated, 

 the respect due to a man (which meant a warrior in case of need 

 and not a mere huntsman as hitherto) was shown him, and in 

 commemoration of the event a special privilege was accorded to 

 him. This consisted in the permission being given to the newly 

 made Wahu to choose any woman of the tribe he liked, his blood 

 relations excepted, and cohabit with her for the night. But such 

 a privilege was extended to him for that night only. At any 

 other time sexual intercourse was regarded as adultery or fornica- 

 tion, as the case might be, the punishment for which was a severe 

 beating with waddies, sometimes inflicted with sufficient severity 

 to cause death. 



They had no special marriage ceremonies, but when a wc)man 

 w^as to be given to a man to cohabit with him for the first time, her 

 female relations and the other women of the tribe would build a 

 *' gunyah " of l^oughs, dense enough to prevent being overlooked, 



