NORTH QUEENSLAND ETHNOGRAPHY ROTH. 181 



raised e lges, is about twenty feet wide, and well over one hundred 

 and fifty feet long, forming a fine sandy tract leading straight 

 from the main camping-ground to the screen. The latter, or 

 areria (KWA. term signifying any fence in general, e.g., a fish- 

 trap one) is about five feet six inches high formed of switches 

 tied at their upper ends on to a cross-piece which in turn is main- 

 tained in position at either extremity by resting in the fork 

 formed of two slanting uprights. This structure is shown in the 

 centre of the PI. liii., fig. 1, taken at a spot about half-way down 

 the broad track, a portion of which is distinguishable in front. 

 On either side of it is an artificial bush-fence which, with the 

 screen, thus together shut off from observation from the main- 

 camp side anything which is taking place beyond. No one, 

 except the actual participants and novices for the particular rite, 

 are allowed to come, or even to look, behind the screen ; the whole 

 of the initiation ground is of course tabu from the women. On 

 the further side, the narrower pathway leads a sinuous course 

 into a patch of dense scrub where in a secluded spot the dressing 

 and decoration of the principal characters take place. 



The "orchestra" take up their places just behind the screen, 

 the musical accompaniment of the song consisting of a length of 

 hollow log, split in half, with the concavity turned downwards ; 

 upon its convexity some five or six individuals were hammering 

 away, and keeping good time, with their sticks, a splendid-toned 

 reverberation being thus produced. Plate liii., tig. 4, shows these 

 musicians in situ, four of them squatting on one side of the log 

 and three on the other ; the sticks are in evidence. To the left 

 of them are three figures standing upright, these are smeared 

 from top to toe with charcoal-grease, which gives them quite a 

 shiny appearance, and are known as the crows. It is they who 

 help to dress and decorate the two principal individuals to be 

 immediately described, and hence may be quite correctly described 

 as "dressers." On the extreme right of the picture can be just 

 recognised the horizontal cross-piece on to which the switches and 

 light leafy saplings constituting the screen are tied. In the very 

 centre is the fire, which is of course required considering that the 

 ceremony only commences when the sun begins to set. The main 

 figures actually distinctive of the ceremony are also shown in 

 PL liii., fig. 3, representing the Amboiba, 11 individuals who, 



^Similarly masked and dressed figures (PI. 1., figs. 13-14) known as 

 Amboipo, are met with in the initiation ceremonies further north, e.g., 

 Margaret Bay, where the decorations of the performers are even more 

 elaborate (PI. li. ). 



