200 Australian Life 



manufactured, as are the dilly-bags in which 

 the gins carry their possessions. The unfailing 

 amusement of the women and children, it is 

 interesting to learn, is an elaborate imitation of 

 the game of cat's cradle; for with a length of 

 string, all sorts of designs are produced, each 

 of which is supposed to bear resemblance to some 

 natural object. 



The amusements of the men consist in athletic 

 contests, in duels, partly sham, but still of a very 

 realistic nature, and in tribal dancing. Owing 

 to the investigations of Messrs. Spencer and 

 Gillen, the true significance of some of these 

 dances or corroborees is now understood. The 

 information was gathered in the course of two 

 expeditions to Central Australia, when photo- 

 graphs and even cinematographic records of the 

 corroborees were obtained. One typical dance is 

 reserved for the rainy season, and is supposed to 

 be conducive to the fall of the much-desired 

 showers. In this dance, some of the actors repre- 

 sent ducks and other aquatic birds which make 

 their appearance during the rainy season, and 

 they deck themselves for the performance with 

 objects symbolical of clouds and running water, 

 thus preserving the significance attached to this 

 special dance. 



At least one aboriginal dialect has been 

 reduced to a written language by Dr. Roth, as- 

 sisted by two German missionaries, Messrs. 

 Schwartz and Poland, of the Lake Bedford 



