138 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



I was disappointed on learning from these natives that some of 

 the most distant tribes had not yet arrived, although weekly 

 expected, and that the final ceremony could not take place until 

 they came. I then determined to wait at the camp a few weeks 

 in the hope of their arriving within that time, and at once set 

 about taking measurements and drawings of the circles and the 

 pathway connecting them, the warrengahlee, and as much of the 

 yammunyamun on the trees and on the ground as I considered 

 necessary. The position of the main camp and its surroundings 

 were also noted. 



I spent the greater part of my time with the head men, asking 

 them to fully describe every part of the ceremonies, which I took 

 down in detail in a note-book which I carried for the purpose. 

 On several occasions I took about a dozen of the initiated men, 

 and one or two of the chiefs, with me into secluded parts of the 

 forest, a mile or two from the camp, where I got them to repro- 

 duce most of the several parts — mimic performances, spectacular 

 exhibitions, and tableaux, which are enacted in the daytime, 

 while the novices are away in the bush with the kooringal. They 

 also performed the greater part of the dances and plays which 

 take place at the camp fires at night on those occasions described 

 farther on in this paper, when the novices are brought out of 

 their own yard for the purpose of being present at them. All 

 the performances which were gone through in my presence agreed 

 exactly with the descriptions of them which I had previously 

 obtained from other blackfellows at the camp, and elsewhere in 

 the district. 



I remained at Tallwood between two and three weeks, and 

 during this time the tribe from Goondiwindi and that from St. 

 George, severally put in an appearance, and were welcomed in 

 the usual manner* ; but the Mogil Mogil, Gundabloui and Mun- 

 gindi tribes had not yet arrived ; and from letters which I had 

 received from correspondents at the last-named place, there was 

 no probability of their coming for another month or more, owing 

 to the arid state of the country, and the consequent difficulty of 

 obtaining food and water. 



As I could not possibly spare the time to wait so long as that, 



* Journ. Anthrop. Inst., xxw, 321-325. 



