AMUSEMENTS. 81 



THE PORCUPINE. 



Porcupine spikes 

 Bum like heat of iire. 

 Someone pinching me 

 When I am up high, 

 With affection like a sister. 

 Grinning, grinning, grinning, 

 Teeth mine. 



When a korroborse is held, all are dressed in their best attire. The chiefs 

 are painted red over and under the eyes and on the cheeks ; a twisted band of 

 the tuan squirrel fur surrounds the head ; in this band, over the right temple, is 

 stuck a plume made of the webs of a swan's dark quill feather, which are tied 

 to the barrel of a long white quill feather from the swan's wing ; in the hair are 

 fastened several incisor teeth of the large kangaroo ; and the tail of a wild dog 

 hangs from the hair down the back ; the arms are adorned with armlets of 

 tuan fur rope. The common men wear round the head a plaited band about two 

 inches broad, made of the inner bark of the stringy-bark tree, coloured red ; 

 over this band is a thick rope of ring- tailed opossum skin with its fur outside; 

 and in the band, above the right temple, is stuck a white quill feather of the 

 swan, with its webs torn half way down, so as to flutter in the wind. Both 

 chiefs and common men wear necklaces. The usual necklace is formed of from 

 eighty to one hundred kangaroo teeth, tied by their roots to a skin cord. This 

 necklace hangs loosely round the neck, and displays the teeth diverging towards 

 the shoulders and breast. Another kind of necklace is composed of short pieces 

 of reeds strung in eight or ten rows on bark cords. A third kind of necklace is 

 formed of numerous threads spun from oj^ossum fur. The usual apron is worn, 

 with the addition of an upright tuft of emu neck feathers fastened to the belt 

 behind, and somewhat resembling the tail of a cock. 



The women wear the usual opossum rug, and have their heads bound with a 

 plaited bark band and an opossum skin rope. A few kangaroo teeth are 

 fastened among their back hair. Above each ear, and projecting beyond the 

 forehead, is a thin piece of wood with various coloured feathers tied to the end 

 of it. Over the forehead there is stuck in the brow band a bunch of white 

 cockatoo crest feathers. A short piece of reed is worn in the cartilage of the 

 nose, and flowers in the slits of the ears. They also wear reed or kangaroo teeth 



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