14« HISTORY OF 



form they are supposed to have the power of 

 killing the animal given them, and the brush- 

 wood is the retreat of the kangaroo. — The 

 following scene is to ihew them one of the 

 exercises, hunting the kangaroo ; for this pur- 

 pose they leave the boys some time, and taking 

 off the sword, or dog's-tail, they fasten some 

 long grass to the girdles, and approach the 

 circle as a herd of kangaroos, jumping along 

 to the music of a shield, beat with a club. On 

 reaching > the Yoo-lahng, they pass the boys, 

 then throwing away the grass tails, each takes 

 up a boy and carries him off to the next scene, 

 which is opened by several laying on the 

 ground. The boys are then made to stand 

 together ; at each end sits a man on the stump 

 of a tree, with his arms extended : as the boys 

 make towards these, the men begin to stare and 

 loll out their tongues; the boys are now led 

 over the men 3 who then make a noise like 

 thunder at a great distance. This is meant 

 to make them brave men. The whole party 

 then stop and the boys are set down. At the 

 same time the performers, arm with spear 

 and shield, the whole then poise and present 

 their spears, at every third stroke which one 

 gives his sheild with a club, who stands in the 

 centre. This is to ihew the use of the spear 

 to the youths. The scene that follows, is the 

 ceremony of knocking out the tooth. A native 

 sits on the grass, and a lad is seated on his 

 shoulders. Now the mystic bone is produced to 

 lance the gum, for which purpose it is made 



