PEESIDENTIAL ADDRESS — SECTION G. 34& 



cleared space which serves as a style of a mystic Ngalabbie, 

 the two wives of Darainulgun "coming from afar," and the 

 exhibition to the novice of the representation of Daramulgun 

 moulded life-size in the ground, with examples dispersed round 

 his figure of all the weapons and implements invented by him 

 for man's use, and surrounded by the wizard, who invokes his 

 name in a magical chant. When we add to this the striking 

 and suggestive representation of the reviving of a dead and 

 buried wizard, of the magical chanting of one of the synonyms 

 of Daramulgun, it must be admitted that the conception is 

 reached that the teachings of the bora indicate a rude form of 

 religion, which is taught to the youthful Australian savage in 

 a manner and under circumstances which leave an indelible 

 impression in his after-life. Glimpses of these matters have 

 been but barely seen by observers, who have obtained garbled 

 accounts from men who would regard them as being of the 

 uninitiated, to reveal to whom the sacred secrets would be an 

 impious act. 



There is a marked distinction to be drawn between the men 

 of the past generation in all Australian tribes, who were born 

 and brought up under their ancestral laws, and the younger men 

 who have been raised up under the influences of our civilisa- 

 tion. Those who have had the best opportunities of judging 

 will certainly arrive at the conclusion that many of the old 

 men, with all their savage faults, had also some admirable 

 qualities. This has been my experience. I have known men 

 among them who, according to their lights, were right-minded, 

 honourable, trustworthy fellows, who would not be guilty of a 

 mean action. I cannot put this distinction between the past 

 and the present generations better than by quoting an ex- 

 pression from Mr. McG , a missionary who had a lifelong 



experience. He said, " The old people were reliable, but the 

 young people are all rascals." I attribute the good qualities 

 which those old men possessed to the teachings imparted to 

 them not only during childhood, but especially then at the 

 horas. 



I have quoted the opinion of a missionary, and I can com- 

 pare with it the opinion of one of the worthy old blackfellows 

 I have mentioned. He said to me, when we were discussing 

 the holding of our hora, " I am glad it will be held, for our boys 

 are all going wild since they have gone to the white people ; 

 we have no longer any control over them." 



It is much to be regretted that so little has been recorded 

 authentically as to the bora ceremonies, by persons properly 

 qualified to describe them. There have been accounts given 

 by various writers, mostly at second hand, and other accounts, 

 generally as magazine or newspaper articles, which profess 

 to be descriptions from personal observation, but which are 



