THE CORROBOREE 295 



there are several mission stations at which, if he cares to 

 submit to the control, he can learn to become a civilised 

 man. Many excellent people in all the colonies are 

 anxiously devoting much of their time and means to 

 redeeming the man of the soil from the state of forlornness 

 and degradation in which he has lived since apparently 

 the time of his evolution. These stations, however, have 

 not met with the success which they deserved. Few of 

 the natives can tolerate restraint for any great length of 

 time. Many of them will serve the whites faithfully and 

 well for a few months, then they must have a jaunt in the 

 desert, visit the scenes of their old exploits and past joys, 

 and witness and take part once more in the wild pleasure 

 of the ever, to the aboriginal mind, delightful representa- 

 tion of the corroboree. 



The corroboree I have already described. It is not a 

 dance, as the old travellers invariably called it, but a 

 dramatic representation — a play, and often a very com- 

 plicated and intelligent play, though it is but rarely that 

 the white man is qualified to understand it thoroughly. 

 Here it would take too much space to fully describe one 

 of the most elaborate corroborees. It must suffice to 

 state that there is always a plot, which is often worked 

 out with great details and many interludes, and also with 

 attempts at " effect " which are quite equal to the " lime- 

 light " and bluefire of the ordinary European or colonial 

 theatre. For instance, at a very interesting corroboree I 

 witnessed, a very pretty effect was made, and the native 

 spectators much impressed, by the throwing of flights of 

 boomerangs with some lighted substances attached to the 

 ends, which burnt brightly as they whirled through the air. 



Some of the errors which have arisen concerning the 

 corroboree are doubtless due to the facts that dancing, or 

 a quick action resembling it, always forms a considerable 

 part of the representation, and also to the circumstance 

 that the corroborees witnessed by white men are specially 

 organised for their pleasure, and are not genuine repre- 

 sentations such as the natives give on ceremonial 

 occasions ; for it is on ceremonial occasions that the 



