330 R, H. MATHEWS. 



feathers. When all is ready a number of men armed with 

 spears surround the boys and their guardians, shouting and 

 beating their weapons together, and all of them march 

 away. The mothers of the novices, as well as the other 

 women present, make a pretence of resistance by gesticu- 

 lating frantically and throwing small sticks over the heads 

 of the men, but do not attempt to follow them. 



Etugs are then thrown over the heads of the graduates 

 and they are conducted about a quarter or half a mile into 

 the bush, and put sitting down on bushes, in charge of a 

 few feeble old men. The strong agile fellows go forward a 

 short distance, for the purpose of painting their bodies and 

 otherwise preparing themselves for their duties. The 

 novices being now alone with the old men, the latter pre- 

 tend to discuss with each other, so that the boys can over- 

 hear them, something to this effect: "All the active young 

 men have gone away and left us poor old fellows to provide 

 for these youths. We cannot climb trees to catch opossums 

 or similar animals or procure honey. Neither can we run 

 aftergame upon the ground. What shall we do?" Then 

 they chant a melancholy song to suit the occasion, and 

 some of them pinch the ears of the dogs to make them howl. 

 This has a very depressing effect upon the poor novices who 

 are sitting motionless, with the rugs still over their heads, 

 so that they can see nothing of what is going on around 

 them. Presently one of the old men says, encouragingly, 

 "Never mind, we will do our best to obtain food for the 

 boys and ourselves. We can climb leaning trees for 

 opossums, and perhaps catch a few fish, or procure some 

 yams and grubs." After a while they help the novices to 

 their feet and lead them along till they reach the place 

 where the other men went to a short time before. They 

 induce the novices to believe that they have accidentally 

 come upon their friends again. Each graduate is now given 



