162 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



Having given their attention to this for the necessary time, the 

 old men interrogate each other and hit the ground, calling out the 

 name of the performance, as described previously. The men then 

 get up and jump and swing their arms as usual. The boys are 

 again ordered to look down and are marched away. After going 

 a short distance they are halted, then ordered to run about 

 twenty yards, when they are stopped again, and given three or 

 four nulla nullas each. They are now at liberty to join in the 

 hunting occupations of the guardians, but must not look behind 

 them. Chasing padamelons, looking for snakes, etc., climbing 

 trees for wild bees' nests, are now indulged in all the way back to 

 the camp, which is reached a short time before sunset. On 

 getting within sight of the camp the boys are ordered to hold 

 their heads down, looking at the ground straight in front of their 

 feet only, and are conducted in this way into the yard, where 

 they are left in the care of a few of their guardians, while the 

 others go to the camp and prepare their evening repast, which is 

 brought by-and-bye to the yard. Even in the yard they must 

 not look towards the camp of the men. After the kooringal and 

 guardians have also had their supper and a rest, at their own camp, 

 two or three small fires are lit, near the cleared space previously 

 mentioned, for the purpose of giving light for the performance 

 about to take place. The guardians now bring the novices from 

 the yard, and place them standing in a row close by this space. 

 The kooringal then appear with boomerangs, nullas, etc., stuck 

 in their belts and in strings tied round their legs and round their 

 shoulders for the purpose of holding these weapons. Some of 

 them pretend to be lame, others are each carrying a man on 

 their back ; they catch hold of his legs and his head hangs down 

 their back. All the men are following in a line stamping their 

 feet, and each man has hold of the one in front of him. The 

 rear consists of a man dressed to represent a woman, who carries 

 a yam-stick and has a blackfellow alongside. The other men 

 pretend to want to take the woman from him, and indulge in 

 obscene gestures. Having asked the customary questions of 

 each other, one of the old men hits the ground and shouts : 

 " Goolangarra." The novices now turn their backs, and on 

 looking round again the men are all in a heap, boballai, and 

 the usual formula is gone through by the old men. The boys 



