The Bora of the Kamilaroi Tribes. 171 



the water-hole for the night, but the Beegay go away back to 

 the camp of the women, perhaps a mile or two distant. 



A few of the oldest women then muster all the women and 

 girls in the camp, not including the children, and drive them 

 into a water-hole or creek close by, and make them swim about 

 and wash themselves. When they come out of the water, they 

 go and select a suitable level place near the camp, which they 

 clear of grass and rubbish, ready for enclosing by the thurra- 

 wonga, or bough yard, the next day. The distance from the 

 camp to the thurrawonga may vary from about 200 yards to 

 500 yards, according to the suitability of the ground, and other 

 considerations. 



When the kooringal and their companions have had supper, 

 some of them take the neophytes, and proceed towards the camp 

 of the women.* On coming within hearing, they break up into 

 sections according to their respective tribes, each section of 

 novices approaching that side of the main camp occupied by the 

 tribe to which they belong. Each lot of boys is accompanied by 

 one or more of the men, who climb up into a tree, just outside 

 the camp, and shout, and the women know the men's voices. 

 Then each boy shouts out in succession, and is answered by 

 his mother. During this time one of the boys is swinging a 

 murrawan at the butt of a tree. The women then pick up 

 fire-sticks and hold them in their hands, or wave them in the 

 air, or perhaps throw them up. The boys of each section act in 

 the same way adjacent to the quarters of their mothers. The 

 men and boys now return to their comrades at the camp out in 

 the bush. The ceremony of giving the boys a new name is now 

 proceeded with. This is done by the old men and the fathers 

 of the novices. The Ippais give names to the Murri boys, the 

 Kubbis name the Kumbos, the Murris name the Ippais, and the 

 Kumbos name the Kubbi boys. While the boys were away at 

 the women's camp, two men had climbed each a tree, and as each 

 boy was named by the old men, one of these would shake the 

 branches and shout out from his tree, imitating the noise of some 

 animal. Sometimes they micturate in imitation of opossums and 

 squirrels. When all the boys are named, the men who have been 



* Journ. Anthrop. Inst., xxv., 336. 



