176 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



huge representation of a carpet snake fixed on a tree, and the 

 ceremony is completed. 



No personal ornaments are worn significatory of having under- 

 gone the rite, this being only known by the man's word or by 

 public report. Women go through no ceremonial. 



i. On the Bloomfield River, when a sufficient number of friendlies 

 can lie got together in one locality, ami this will depend upon a 

 suitable season and adequate food-supply, all the boys who are 

 to undergo the rite are taken to a spot well removed from the 

 women and the actual camp, to where a " lean-to " of branches 

 is set up. About ten or fifteen yards distant from this shed is 

 the initiation ring, an oval space about twelve yards by six, 

 formed in some sandy spot, the sand scooped out, and thrown up 

 to form a raised edge just wide enough for one individual lo walk 

 along on. At the lean-to each boy is covered from head to foot 

 with Grevil lea-bark charcoal by his father or mother's brother, 

 the ashes being applied with the hands, which are spat upon. 

 The proceedings will commence at any time during the day or 

 evening. The boys are now taken to the cleared space within 

 sight or sound of which no woman or other uninitiated males dare 

 to be present. Here the elders go through a whole series of 

 dances or performances relative to various birds and animals, 

 and as each is executed the father or mother's brother explains 

 to his ward the meaning and details of it ; at the commencement 

 of each separate dance, except that of the wild-cat, during the 

 whole course of which their faces are turned aside in the direction 

 of "home," they are directed to look homewards while things are 

 being got ready. These dances are done in relays and extend 

 over a space of sometimes four days, without sleep and but little 

 food, and that only of a certain kind, with the. result that the 

 poor novices are pretty well half-starved and knocked-up for 

 want of sleep. The novices are also painted differently at the 

 close of the ceremony, with red ochre, to what they were at the 

 opening. As soon as the elders have decided that they have had 

 enough of it, the men in charge of the boys will collect some 

 leafy boughs under cover of which, just like a mm ing forest, they 

 all march hack towards the original camp. Before reaching it, 

 however, they stop at another cleared more or less circular space 

 with its accompanying lean-to shed, and stand up in two rows, 

 i he novices forming the front one. The mothers (blood- or group-) 

 of the initiated youths are now allowed to approach, each woman 

 coming close up with a leafy bough which she switches lightly 

 across the thighs of her own particular boy, who thereupon enters 

 the lean-to, where he has a short rest. Having so rested a while, 



