132 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



outside the fires, and are then covered over with rugs, blankets 

 and bushes. A few of the head men of the camp mob remain 

 standing round the fires watching the women. 



Return of the Boys. — When all is ready the " white mob " 

 make their appearance in single file, the boys and their guardians 

 being in the lead — a guardian being in front with his novice 

 behind him, then another guardian followed by his novice, and 

 so on. Before coming in sight of the camp they laid down 

 everything they were carrying, and now have nothing in their 

 hands. A large bull roarer, Boolpee, would be sounded in the 

 rear by one of the goomat men as this mob approached. This 

 would be about the middle of the day. 



"When the front man gets within such a distance of the point 

 midway between the two fires as he estimates to be the radius of 

 the circle, he turns to one side and the others follow him. When 

 about half the mob have gone to this side, the men who are 

 still coming turn the contrary way, going round to meet the 

 first man. When all the men and boys are in their places, they 

 catch each others hands and form a complete circle which may be 

 called the "white ring," round the women and the fires. They 

 do all this as quietly as possible, so that the women may not hear 

 them coming in. .Some of the goomat men are standing outside 

 the "white ring" directing the proceedings, having estimated the 

 size of the ring by having seen it formed at the water-hole in the 

 bush. 



The head men now give orders for the women to get up, and 

 each mother then looks around for her son. Having his hair cut 

 off, and being painted white, sometimes so alters his appearance 

 that his mother cannot readily recognise him. >Some of the 

 goomat men perhaps indicate the son's position. Each boy has 

 a nose peg made of kangaroo bone through the septum of his 

 nose, or carried in his mouth, to further assist in distinguishing 

 them from the other men. Each mother goes close to her son, 

 and catching one of her breasts in her hand raises it towards him, 

 and he bends his head and pretends to suck it. The sisters of 

 the novice also approach him, and rub their feet on his feet and 

 ankles. The mothers then rub their hands on their sons, and on 

 all their male relations, pretending to rub the white paint off". 

 Every man in the " white ring " will be rubbed in this way, after 



