The Bora of the Kam'darol Tribes. 163 



are now taken away to their yard, where they remain with a 

 few of their guardians till bed-time. The procedure for to-morrow 

 is now discussed by the head men, thekooringaland the guardians. 

 When this matter has been disposed of, the boys are brought back, 

 and put in the place appointed for them to sleep, their guardians 

 being with them, and all hands retire to rest. 



The next morning at day-light the boys are taken back to their 

 yard, where food is subsequently taken to them. When all have 

 breakfasted, a start is made out into the bush for the purpose of 

 hunting. It may be that it has been decided to shift their camp 

 to a fresh place, and in that case their things would be carried 

 with them. The boys carry nothing — their things being carried 

 by their guaixlians. The boys walk with their heads down and 

 their arms close by their sides, and when out of sight of the camp 

 are liberated by giving them a short run and handing them nulla 

 nullas, as before described, and hunting or fishing is carried 

 on all day as usual. During either the fore or afternoon, the 

 pantomimic performance of the Curlew (Graybai) is gone through 

 by ranging the boys in a row with their heads down, their nulla 

 nullas having been taken from them. The kooringal then run 

 along past in front of them, imitating the action and whistling 

 of the curlew. The old men hit the ground and the men 

 go in Boballai in the usual way. On getting into camp that 

 evening an hour or so before sundown, the play is Native Bees 

 (Oongomurra). Around the butt of a tree a number of bushes 

 are placed with their ends leaning against it. The kooringal are 

 standing round the base of the tree, hidden by the bushes and are 

 humming like bees. The boys are brought up with their heads 

 down, and are ranged in a row and told to look up. When an 

 old man hits the ground with his nulla nulla, the men come out 

 on all fours one after the other humming and imitating the walk 

 of bees. The boys backs being now turned, the men go into 

 Boballai as usual. If it is a fresh camping ground, a yard 

 is made for the boys and the camp arranged as previously 

 described. After supper a couple of small fires are lighted 

 beside a cleared space, between the camp of the guardians and 

 that of the kooringal, and the boys are brought out of their 

 yard and placed standing on one side. The men now pass alotig 

 in a crouching attitude, jumping and shaking their arms; the 



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