172 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



up in the trees come clown, and raise a lamentation that the. bora 

 ceremonies are over. Such of the young men present who had 

 been initiated at previous boras now ask the old men to release 

 them from certain prohibitions which had been imposed upon 

 them as to food. Food restrictions are now imposed upon the 

 neophytes.* After this all hands go to sleep at the camp fires 

 for the night. 



Return of the Boys. — Early next morning the men and boys 

 have their hair cut, and the men are shaved, face and pubes, 

 after which the boys are painted red all over, with white stripes 

 drawn diagonally across their bodies from the direction of each 

 shoulder, and also on the arms and legs. Belts, kilts, etc., are 

 also worn. The men are painted with red stripes from the waist 

 down to the feet, and from the elbows to the hands. Feathers 

 of the eagle-hawk or swan are put in the hair. A messenger is 

 sent on ahead to the gin's camp to tell them that the men and 

 boys will shortly arrive. 



The women, assisted by the Beegay, have in the early morning 

 cut saplings and bushes, and made a yard around the cleared 

 space before referred to. This yard is similar in shape to those 

 made in the bush, but larger, because intended to accommodate a 

 greater number of men. Its convex end is in the direction from 

 which the boys are expected to approach. In this yard the 

 mothers of the guardians and kooringal have placed their yam- 

 sticks around, about two or thi-ee feet from the fence, each stick 

 having some article belonging to the owner attached to it, in 

 order that the men may recognise them. Around the outside of 

 the convex end of this yard logs of wood are laid. The Beegay 

 now cause the women to lie down round the outside of the yard, 

 the mothers of the boys occupying the space nearest to the fence 

 with their feet touching the logs just mentioned. The men 

 and women who have charge of the thurrawonga are called 

 mooemalla. The women are then covered over with rugs and 

 bushes. On a signal being given that all is ready, the neophytes 

 and their guardians now approach in single file, and the latter 

 conduct each boy to his mother on the outside of the enclosure 

 and place him sitting down on the log which her feet are 



* Forbidden food is called wannal. 



