344 K. H. MATHEWS. 



of which were stones, which were kept continually hot. 

 The novices were brought to this place, with rugs cast over 

 their heads, so that they could see nothing of what was 

 going on around them. Dhurramulan caught a boy and hit 

 him on the back of the head, which caused one of his front 

 upper incisors to fall out. The tooth, by Dhurramulan's 

 gramarye, then became a gunabillang, or rock costal, a 

 sacred stone used in these ceremonies of initiation. He 

 then cast the lad into the fire and scorched all his hair off. 

 Sometimes he burnt the boy to ashes, and being a great 

 sorcerer, was able to restore him to human shape. He fed 

 the lads on wallumbil, a small wood lizard, which they 

 were obliged to eat raw. He also gave them his own 

 excrement to eat, and when they were thirsty, they drank 

 his urine. 



Eventually, Dharramulan went into different kinds of 

 trees, where he still resides, excepting during those times 

 when the initiation ceremonies are in progress. A piece 

 of wood, cut from any tree will make a muddhiga or bull- 

 roarer, which is also frequently called Dhurramulan, on 

 account of its humming sound, which represents his voice. 

 On the boles of some trees in the bush, generally between 

 the base and the first branches, there are circular or 

 irregular protuberances, some of which project outwards 

 half a foot or more. On the top surface of many of these 

 excrescences there are fairly flat or level places, on which 

 Dhurramulan is said to have a fancy for sitting or lying to 

 rest himself when he comes out of the tree. These pro- 

 tuberances or calabashes are called dhunnang by the Wir- 

 raidyuri people, and some of the old men told me that they 

 have sometimes found the upper side of a dhunnang worn 

 smooth by Dhurramulan's repeated occupation. Like 

 some other Australian heroes, he has the magical power 

 of changing his shape, and making his body smaller or 



