1 898.1 MATHEWS — INITIATION IN AUSTRALIAN TKIBES. 59 



in search of vegetable food, but there are always some of the old 

 men and women in the camp. Each afternoon when the men re- 

 turn from the hunting or fishing expeditions, which have engaged 

 them during the earlier portion of the day, the men of the local 

 tribe start from the camp and walk away to the eeteemat, carrying a 

 boomerang or some other weapon in each hand. They are shortly 

 afterwards followed by the men of the other tribes, each mob start- 

 ing in the order of their arrival at the main camp. On reaching the 

 ring they look over the moombeera, the raised and carved figures on 

 the ground, the warr'angooi'inga, etc., and go through practically 

 the same routine — and return to the hurbung in the same manner — 

 as on the arrival of a new tribe. On some days during their visit 

 to the eeteemat, the bullroarer is sounded, and the men beat the 

 ground with pieces of bark held in the hand. It may be that a few 

 additional trees are marked on these occasions, or some improve- 

 ments are made in the earthen figures, or any other extra work 

 which may add to the embellishment of the ground. 



As soon as convenient after the arrival of all the tribes who are 

 expected to join in the ceremony the headmen assemble, and after 

 a consultation among themselves they determine the day on which 

 the novices will be taken away for the purpose of initiation. The 

 Kooriiigal, or band of men who are to take charge of the ceremo- 

 nies in the bush, are selected and the locality fixed where the women 

 are to erect the new camp and wait for the return of the novices. 

 On the morning which has been decided upon for taking the boys 

 away, the whole camp is astir at daylight. The painting of the 

 novices is now proceeded with, all of them being adorned with red 

 ochre and grease from head to foot. Each boy is then invested 

 with a girdle, to which four " tails " or kilts are attached, one hang- 

 ing down in front, one at each side and one behind. They are 

 then conducted into the burbling ring and placed sitting down on 

 the raised earthen wall, the boys of each tribe being in a group 

 by themselves on the side of the ring which is nearest their ow^n 

 country. The mother of each novice is then seated outside the em- 

 bankment a few yards behind where he is sitting ; his sisters and 

 the other women are placed on the ground a little farther back. A 

 screen of boughs is erected between each group of mothers and their 

 sons. One or more of the headmen now go along the groups of 

 novices and throw a rug over the head of each boy. All the women 

 and children are told to lie down and keep still, and are covered 



