242 B. H. MATHEWS. 



In the meantime the chosen band already described has 

 marched on till near sundown. They generally select a 

 depression between ridges, or a dry watercourse, as their 

 camping place for the night. Their fires are lit in small 

 excavations made by digging the ground with the end of a 

 nulla-nulla or other weapon to a depth of some inches, 

 and the earth thus removed is used to raise a bank around 

 the margin, as additional protection for the fire. Short 

 pieces of firewood are used, to fit in the holes, and when 

 finally leaving the place the fires are covered over. These 

 precautions are taken in order that any straggling blacks 

 belonging to the enemy may not observe the fires at a 

 distance. 



Next morning a tree is selected in or adjacent to the 

 camp and is marked in the following manner : As many 

 men as there is room for squat on the ground close around 

 the butt of the tree, facing it, and mark the portion of the 

 bole within their reach, with their tomahawks. An equal 

 number of men mount, in a sitting posture, upon the 

 shoulders of the first, and mark the tree in the same way. 

 A third tier of men now sit upon the shoulders of the second 

 lot, and make their marks. By this time the bole of the 

 tree is marked up to about the height of a man. All the 

 markers now withdraw and a fresh detachment of men 

 stand around the tree and mark as high as they can reach. 

 The same number of men get astride the shoulders of the 

 first cordon and likewise mark the tree. Another tier of 

 men sit on the shoulders of the second tier and do the same. . 

 The two tiers of seated men now jump down to the ground, 

 but the men who are standing around the base of the tree 

 remain in position. A fresh lot of men now mount with 

 their feet on the shoulders of the last mentioned, and 

 standing up, mark the bole as high as they can reach. The 

 tree is now marked about ten or twelve feet from the 

 ground, or even higher than that. 



