BY GERARD KREFFT. 367 



accompanied by Mr. Goodwin. There was no moon when we 

 crossed the river, and following oar guide, we soon found 

 ourselves in the midst of about two hundred natives, stretched 

 around their camp-fires, which formed a semi-circle, the middle 

 being occupied by " old Jacob," the famous chief, who appeared 

 to keep them merry by telling a number of tales ; all were busy 

 except Jacob. Some tried to straighten young shoots of the 

 Myall, by heating them in the ashes, and then bending the wood 

 into shape keeping their feefc and the whole weight of their 

 body upon it ; others were occupied knitting nets, using Ihe 

 same instrument as our fishermen do, and working with their 

 hands and feet ; the women were cooking fish, of which a large 

 supply had been obtained during the day, carefully reserving 

 the taboo'd fish called Manor, for the use of the aged, no youth 

 or lass being permitted to partake of it ; carving their waddies, 

 or preparing opossums' skins for their rugs, kept others busy, and 

 all this time the sonorous voice of old Jacob could be distinctly 

 heard, and shouts of laughter testified how well the old man's 

 tales were appreciated. 



When the moon rose, the men left their occupation, some 

 ascending trees to cut down branches, others painting themselves 

 with gypsum, for the forthcoming corobboree, and shortly after 

 the dance commenced, performed by some fifty or sixty men, 

 with bushes tied to their ancles. Their ribs, arms, and thigh- 

 bones, were traced with gypsum upon the dark skin, and made 

 them appear as so many skeletons ; the women and young girls 

 formed a sort of orchestra, beating opossum rugs, and singing 

 their monotonous airs ; all the dancing men, and some of the 

 more aged ones who sat near the women, were provided with 

 two short thick pieces of hardwood, which they beat to the time 

 of the song. All this time one of their " doctors," as he was 

 termed, experimented upon another blackfellow, as it would 

 appear, in trying to deliver him of an immense worm which he 

 seemed to pull out of his patient's mouth ; I found afterwards 

 that this worm was part of the intestines of an opossum ; they 

 went on enjoying themselves when I left, keeping the dance 

 up until the small hours, and, of course, sleeping far into 

 the day. 



