590 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



author remarks that " they are good mimics, have a facility for catching 

 up words, and are gifted with considerable observation." In the 

 corrobborees I witnessed they not only imitated animals such as alliga- 

 tors, turtle, sharks (29), as was done elsewhere, but they had adopted 

 the antics of the old Fort Dundas sailors in rolling and pulling on ropes, 

 and even the actions of the man in command of sailors so engaged. 

 The performers are painted most beautifully with white clay, and 

 very likely this decoration is an imitation of white men's apparel. 

 The hands and feet being devoid of coloration, the impression of a white 

 dress is conveyed. The dances ended regularly with jumping of a 

 most violent description. 



Some of the women and children took part in the dance, stamping 

 in the circle with the characteristic high step movements, holding a 

 piece of paper-bark in the hands to cover the genital parts, and pro- 

 ducing a most ridiculous effect. 



I was sorry to leave this peaceful place, in which the air is filled 

 by day and night with the happy laugh and song of a yet undisturbed 

 black people. The moonlight in the dense scrub mingled with the 

 glare of many camp fires made the most poetic impression I ever met 

 with in " Black Australia." 



Returning to the mouth of the Jessie River (September 27th), after 

 a second painful mosquito night in the mangrove swamps, I discovered 

 another grave on Radford Point — at least I supposed that place to 

 be a grave, although I was unable to obtain any proof. Our digging 

 between the monuments was unsuccessful ; perhaps the skeleton had 

 decomposed, perhaps displaced. There were only two monuments, 

 5ft. to 6ft. high, which are figured in Plate 17. On the inner side of 

 every pillar a waddy was implanted, showing the male sex of the 

 deceased. The paintings in red and yellow were beautifully done. 

 I cut away the upper part of one pillar, taking it in the boat. Near 

 the place I found two small sticks, which are used for beating time 

 in the corrobborees. 



On the same day I was fortunate enough to discover another grave, 

 in which the skeleton was preserved. We tried to call at Karslake 

 Island, but the water was so shallow that our boat became fixed on the 

 coral reef. I travelled 600yds. over the shallow stony ground to the 

 island, in which our blackfellows opened a grave. It was surrounded 

 by nine pillars, the most of them being damaged by fire ; but the same 

 variation of shape was noticed as I have described. The skeleton 

 was partly decomposed, but the skull fairly well preserved. It was 

 that of a strong male individual of perhaps 50 years of age. The teeth 



(29) In imitating the shark the two performers kept sticks in their arms, one 

 in the right placed with one end against the shoulder, the other in the left. The 

 right arm represented the snout, the left the tail of the fish. Moving forwards, 

 with the right arm in front, they turned and jumped about most furiously, as if 

 they were trying to catch game. 



