me A ve pm 
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 503 ° 
no speaking ; all of a sudden they stop, congregate together 
as close as possible into one surging mass, with shields, 
swords, and boomerangs held on high (Pl. XXX.), give a 
lusty shout, and retire to that portion of the edge of the 
circle at which they entered, sit down, and wait there. 
And here they stay while the next two or three mobs 
come up—with same performance in the centre, &c.—each 
tribe taking up its temporary quarters at the edge of the 
ring where it originally entered and approached. 
They all then rest at these particular positions until the 
sun is about half-way between mid-day and sunset. 
(c) The tribe to whom the ground belongs is supposed 
to start the proceedings by some one or other of the follow- 
ing methods, after having entered the ring : — 
1. One, or may be a couple, of the men will let fly 
a boomerang or a spear into the mob with 
whom they want to have a “ go-in”’ with. 
il. One fellow will get up and “jaw” at the others 
collectively, or at one of them individually. It 
was a case of the latter which started one of the 
fights which I witnessed. The challenger had 
had his gin stolen by a man in the opposing 
mob, and he was employing all the most filthy 
epithets he could use to get his man to show 
fight. Before the latter had time to answer, an 
old virago from the opposing side came forward 
biting her spear, throwing it with full force 
into the ground, plucking it out again, stamp- 
ing and yelling all the time, and rousing herself 
to a pitch of excitement; and then she gave 
the challenger a sound tongue-thrashing, heap- 
ing upon him all the most beastly terms she 
could think of, &e. 
iil. The whole mob will start taunting the others col- 
lectively, making remarks about them, and try- 
ing to hold them up to ridicule and contempt. 
They generally get hold of something concern- 
ing their women. 
iv. Often as not, neither singly nor collectively is 
there any real cause for quarrel; but they 
make a start and find one, “ out of pure cussed- 
ness ’’ almost, it might be said. 
Perhaps the other side thus challenged will only get up 
and stand out (with their weapons, of course), and reply 
verbally in similar strains. Should this turn out to be 
the case, one of the challenging mob will come up to those 
