Wandarral of Ri.elcnioiul and Clarence Tribes. 37 



of their own country. This is the first appearance of this tribe 

 at the ceremonial gathering, and the purpose of their visit is to 

 engage in a sham fight with the other tribes who are initiating 

 the boys, particulars of which will be given presently. They 

 have come from a distant part of the community's territory so 

 that the boys will not know them, and therefore make the 

 encounter appear all the more real. 



The description of the ceremonies in the busli will now be 

 resumed from the point where the above digression was made. 

 When the several pantomimic representations and songs referred 

 to in the preceding pages have been continued for about ten 

 days, one of the men goes from the bush laob to the new camp 

 erected by the women and informs the men there that the course 

 of performances in the bush has been duly carried out. This 

 man does not go openly into the camp but approaches it about 

 dusk, and when he gets within a short distance of the men's 

 quarters, but sufficiently far to be out of sight, he sounds a small 

 bullroarer, called dJialgiiiigitn., which he carries for the purpose.^ 

 When the head men hear this noise they know that some one 

 from the bush camp wishes to counnunicate with them, and one 

 or more of them go in the direction from which the sound has 

 been heard, and on finding the messenger they enter into convei'- 

 sation with him. He tells them everything which has been 

 done in the bush, and if they are satisfied that the curriculum 

 has been complied with and the novices kept away long enough, 

 they arrange for a meeting place in some well known locality, 

 perhaps a couple of miles from the women's camp, where the mob 

 who have charge of the boys can be found the next day or the 

 day following. The messenger then goes away back to his own 

 mob in the bush and tells them the meeting place which lias been 

 decided upon. 



On the day which has been thus appointed several old men start 

 away from the women's camp towards the place where they expect 

 to meet the bush mob. On getting about half-way there they form 



1 The dhalgiuyjun is a small bullroarer used by the Clarence and Richmond Ri\er 

 blacVis. It is suspended on a short strinjr, which is attaciied to a pliable rod which serves 

 as a liandle, and is used in the same way ns the moonibear amongst the Wiradthuri tribes. 

 —"The Burbung of the Wiradthuri Tribes," Journ. Anthrop. Inst., xxv., 298, pi. .\xvi. 

 flg. 30. 



