Tlte Biirhiimj of the Darhinuwj Tribes. 9 



Early on the following morning the novices are placed standing 

 in a row beside the camp with their eyes cast down upon the 

 ground. The men then stoop down and scratch the loose leaves 

 oif the surface of the ground until an oval space has been cleared. 

 Some of them then stand round on this cleared space, into 

 which two men enter and commence swinging the bull roarers 

 (jninyaivoak). and the boys are told to look at them. Some 

 armed men now rush up to each of the novices and caution them 

 against revealing what they have been taught during their 

 sojourn in the bush. After this everything is packed up and the 

 journey towards the watyoor camp commenced. On arriving at 

 a water-hole, which had been decided upon by the head men at 

 the same time that the position of the ivatyoor was determined, 

 the Kooringal jump into the watei', under the pretence of looking 

 for turtles, but in reality for the purpose of washing off the 

 charcoal powder with which their bodies were painted. The 

 novices do not go into the water-hole, but stand on the bank 

 watching the men, who lave handfuls of water towards them. 

 When the men come out of the water-hole they paint their 

 bodies all over with pipe-clay, and the novices are painted with 

 stripes or daubs of white on the face, arms, and chest. The men 

 and boys are dressed in their kilts and other regalia and the 

 journey onwards towards the women's camp is then resumed. 



RetH7-n of the Novices. — On the day which has been appointed 

 for the return of the novices their mothers proceed to the ivatyoor, 

 being painted with coloured clays. They wear headbands round 

 their hair, in which are fastened various ornaments, such as the 

 feet of the porcupine [Echidna), the teeth of animals, and the tail 

 of the native dog hanging down behind. They are accompanied 

 as usual by the other old women of the tribes present, and on 

 this occasion several old men go with them to make the necessary 

 arrangements for the reception of the novices. These old men 

 take the yam-sticks of the mothers and insert them in the ground 

 all along the open side of the watyoor, the top of each stick 

 having a bunch of leaves tied to it, and also some article belonging 

 to the owner attached to it, in order that each boy may recognise 

 his mother's yam-stick. 



All the necessary preparations having been made, a signal is 

 given by the men, on which the Kooringal and neophytes make 



