ABORIGINAL TRIBES OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA. 319 



seized with fearful maladies from which it is impossible to 

 recover. 



One evening after dark the men play the opossum game, 

 dumpul. Several men of different stature ascend a tree 

 with dense foliage within sight of the camp fire. This is 

 done unknown to the novices. By and by the other men 

 say "Let us see if there are any opossums in that tree?" 

 and commence throwing sticks up among the branches. 

 Some of the men in the tree mimic the call of opossums 

 and micturate down upon the ground in imitation of a habit 

 of those animals. The men then descend the tree, one 

 after another, at intervals of a few minutes. A hunter 

 stands at the base of the tree, and as each "opossum" 

 comes down he apparently hits it on the head with a stick 

 and it falls upon the ground. During the performance the 

 audience make remarks upon the size and appearance of 

 each animal " killed " — that it is large, small, fat, and so 

 on. The last " opossum " to descend is the biggest of the 

 lot, and as the hunter knocks it on the head, it falls on its 

 back exposing the genitalia, and all hands call out, " That 

 is an old buck ! " 



Different burlesques and songs take place every day and 

 every evening, but their essential characteristics are the 

 same. Among these performances for the instruction and 

 amusement of the company are mimic plays of the locust, 

 native companion, kangaroo, porcupine and other animals. 



At all times when marching along through the bush care 

 is taken that the boys shall not walk under a leaning tree, 

 nor between two trees the branches of which press against 

 each other, because their future growth might thereby 

 be impeded, or some other bad luck befall them. If a 

 novice's belt works loose and falls to the ground, it must 

 not be picked Up and given to him again. His guardian 

 takes off his own belt and gives it to the boy, and takes in 



