652 MATHEWS—SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES. [Oct. 5, 
1898, it will be sufficient to give the following 7ésumé from my 
previous work.’ 
The preliminaries connected with inviting the neighboring 
tribes and their assemblage at an appointed meeting place are 
almost identical with the practice of other districts. The time of 
life at which a youth is considered ready for the ordeal is deter- 
mined by the first appearance of hair on the pubes and chin. On 
the morning of the day settled upon for the principal ceremony all 
the people are astir at daylight. The boys to be operated upon, 
who have been gathered out of the camp the previous night, are 
now painted all over with red ochre, their hair being combed and 
decorated with the white down of birds. When all is ready the 
guardians take charge of the novices, and a number of men armed 
with spears surround them in a circle, and all of them march away. 
The men make a great noise, shouting and beating their weapons 
together, but the boys remain silent, with their heads bowed 
toward their breasts. 
The mothers of the novices and other women present make a 
pretence of resistance by throwing pieces of sticks over the heads 
of the men, but do not attempt to followthem. The men and 
graduates then proceed to a secluded locality previously agreed 
upon, perhaps some miles distant, where a camp is formed, and the 
novices placed lying down on a layer of leaves upon the ground, 
and are covered over with cloaks or grass, their guardians remain- 
ing with them. All the other men make their camp in close prox- 
imity. Between the quarters of the boys and those of the men a 
space is cleared of all sticks and grass, and a fire lighted close by 
it. In the evening, after the youths have partaken of their allow- 
ance of food, they are placed, sitting in a row, near this prepared 
spot, and the men go through various pantomimic performances, 
consisting of hunting and other scenes, imitating the animals 
which are the totems of those present, and certain obscene gesti- 
culations which are usually practiced on similar occasions. Dif- 
ferent burlesques take place every evening, and also sometimes 
during the day if the men are not otherwise occupied. 
A week or more may be spent at these camping places in the 
bush, the time being regulated by the weather and other considera- 
tions. When conducting the novices from one camp to another 
they are obliged to hold a bunch of green boughs in each hand. 
1 Journ. Roy. Soc, N. S. Wales, Vol. xxxii, pp. 243-245, Plate XII, 
