CORROBERY, OR NATIVE DANCE 241 



their bodies. It was a most rude, barbarous scene, 

 and, to our ideas, without any sort of meaning ; but 

 we observed that the black women and children 

 watched it with the greatest pleasure. Perhaps 

 these dances originally represented actions, such 

 as wars and victories ; there was one called the 

 Emu dance, in which each man extended his arm 

 in a bent manner, like the neck of that bird. In 

 another dance, one man imitated the movements 

 of a kangaroo grazing in the woods, whilst a sec- 

 ond crawled up and pretended to spear him. When 

 both tribes mingled in the dance, the ground trem- 

 bled with the heaviness of their steps, and the air 

 resounded with their wild cries. Every one ap- 

 peared in high spirits, and the group of nearly na- 

 ked figures, viewed by the light of the blazing fires, 

 all moving in hideous harmony, formed a perfect 

 display of a festival amongst the lowest barbai-ians. 

 In Tierra del Fuego, we have beheld many curi- 

 ous scenes in savage life, but never, I think, one 

 where the natives were in such high spirits, and so 

 perfectly at their ease. After the dancing was over, 

 the whole party formed a great circle on the ground, 

 and the boiled rice and sugar was distributed, to 

 the delight of all. 



After several tedious delays ff-om clouded weath- 

 er, on the 14th of March we gladly stood out of 

 King George's Sound on our course to Keeling 

 Island. Farewell, Australia ! you are a rising child, 

 and doubtless some day will reign a great pi-incess 

 in the South ; but you are too great and ambitious 

 for affection, yet not gi'eat enough for respect. I 

 leave your shores without sorrow or reerret. 

 11. 16 



