502 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 
(a) All the year round, except at flood-time, the blacks 
regularly meet at the prun-ground or Puya. This ground, 
which is shifted every two or three months, consists of a 
large cleared circular space, and is usually reserved for these 
particular fights (with general corroborees). There is no 
ceremony, &c., at its inception, when it is being constructed, 
nor are any neighbouring trees marked or in any way orna- 
mented. The prun takes place every seventh or thirteenth 
day in the Tully and neighbouring district, the latter now 
merging into the fourteenth, so as to hold it of a Sunday, 
to suit the convenience of the white settlers, by whom: 
many of the natives are employed; but why these par- 
ticular (original) intervals have come to be chosen—and it 
must be remembered that these intervals vary in different 
localities—is beyond the knowledge of the blacks them- 
selves. It should be noted here that in those districts 
where such tournaments are regularly held the blacks have 
special terms for counting the number of days intervening ; 
in all other districts they can count up to three, or perhaps 
four, only. 
(6) The tribe on whose territory the prun-ground hap- 
pens to be is always the first to arrive there on the day 
appointed—early in the morning—and takes up its posi- 
tion. Some few days previously a messenger has been sent 
round to the various camps, reminding them of the date. 
No particular person is sent, nor is he specially decorated in 
any way, and he does not tell them whose quarrels, should 
there happen to be any, that are going to be dealt with. 
At any rate, it is considered the duty of everyone who has 
been so informed to attend on the day appointed. Well, 
the people who get there first, and have their own camps 
there, decorate themselves, as the case may be, on the edge 
of the ring (v.e., where their huts are). The decoration 
followed is that of Pl. XXIX., the special fighting costume, 
formed of cockatoo feathers. | Those who subsequently 
come up get ready at a place somewhat removed from the 
ring, and put in an appearance there only when fully 
“rigged up.” Such men, fully decorated, are known as 
the ulmba; they are the “ picked” ones, who have to up- 
hold the honour of their particular mob, and are accom- 
panied by other males (not ornamented so much) and 
females (not decorated at all). With them are four women 
in particular who carry spears (pointed at their butts— 
the chukaji spear). All advance in a body, and rushing 
into the ring do a half-circle round, being led by two or 
three in the van, who, with the direction in which their 
spears are held, show the route to be followed. There is 
