Art. IV. — Tlte Wandarral of the Richmond and 

 Clarence River Tribes. 



By R. H. Mathews, 



Licensed Surveyor. 

 [Read 13th May, 1897.] 



As no description of the initiation ceremonies of the aboriginal 

 tribes who occupy tl:ie country watered by the Richmond and 

 Clarence Rivers, on the north-east coast of New South Wales, 

 has hitherto been attempted, T have prepared the following 

 brief account of the Wattdarral practised by these people, in 

 which it is hoped the principal parts of the ceremony are detailed 

 with sufficient fulness to enable a comparison to be made between 

 this and other rites of the same character in ditFerent parts of the 

 Australian continent. The principal languages spoken by the 

 tribes lierein dealt with are the Kahwall and Bunjellung, but 

 there are a few others of less importance. 



When it has been determined to call the people together for 

 the purpose of inaugurating the youths of the tribes into the 

 privileges and duties of manhood, messengers are despatched to 

 the different sections of the community, informing them of the 

 time and place of the intended gathering. The head man of the 

 tribe, whose turn it is to muster the people, is generally agreed 

 upon at the last JVandarral which was held. That is to say, at 

 the conclusion of the JVandarral ceremonies, before all the tribes 

 disperse, their head men assemble in council and arrange amongst 

 themselves which tribe shall take the initiative at the next 

 gathering. It is the duty of this tribe, when the appointed time 

 arrives, to prepare the Wandarral gi'ound in some part of their 

 own territory, and get everything ready prior to the arrival of 

 the several contingents whom they may invite to attend the 

 ceremony. 



A suitable camping ground, capable of accommodating all the 

 tribes who are expected to be present, is selected near some river. 



