38 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



a temporary camping place, where they stop for the present, with 

 the exception of two wlio go on. When these two men get 

 within hearing distance, they tap two nulla nullas, or other 

 weapons together, and ci'ouch down in the long grass, or among 

 bushes, so as to be out of sight. The bush mob hear the tapping, 

 but pretend they don't know what it is, and say to each other in 

 the presence of the boys, " What noise is that ?" The beating of 

 the nulla nullas is again heard, and after this has been repeated 

 several times, the two old men stand up in a place where they 

 are within view of the bush mob and walk towards them. The 

 men and novices now advance towards the two old men, and on 

 getting close to them they leave the boys standing with their 

 guardians, and all the rest of the men run on round the two old 

 fellows, singing and clapping their hands as they jump about. 

 The novices are allowed to see this performance, and at its 

 conclusion the men return to them, and the whole of them 

 go back to where they had just previously come from. The two 

 old men then start away to the place where they left their 

 comrades. The bush mob, including the novices, then paint 

 themselves with coloured clays, and dress in their full regalia. 

 Two more of the old men, before referred to, who are also painted 

 and wearing their toga, are then heard approaching, giving a 

 long-drawn whistle at intervals. When the bush mob hear the 

 whistle, they all lie down in a scrubby place, or in the long grass, 

 to make the novices believe they are hiding. The two old men 

 walk i-ound them a short distance off, but pretend they cannot 

 find them, after which they retire. In a little while two other 

 old men are heard whistling, and the bush mob answer them. 

 Presently they appear in sight, each man carrying in his right 

 hand a boomerang, which he sways from side to side and utters 

 guttural noises. This time they find the men and boys, who are 

 apparently hidden, who get up and jump and swing tiieir arms 

 about. The two old men then turn and run away, and the hush 

 mob follow them, shouting and hitting their weapons together.^ 

 The two old men keep retreating till they get close to the main 

 camp, when they turn round and face their pursuers. The 



1 Compare this with my account of the impressive performance of the heei/au in "The 

 Bora of the Kaniilaroi Tribes." Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, ix. (X.S.), 107-171. 



