NEW SOUTH WALES. 



189 



This action continues for a time, and then the skeletons, for so I may- 

 term them, for they truly resemble them, suddenly seem to vanish and 

 reappear. The disappearance is effected by merely turning round, for 

 the figures are painted only in front, and their dusky forms are lost by 

 mingling with the dark background. The trees illuminated by the fire, 

 are brought out with some of the figures in bold relief, while others 

 were indistinct and ghost-like. All concurred to give an air of wildness 

 to the strange scene. As the dance proceeds, the excitement increases, 

 and those who a short time before appeared only half alive, become full 

 of animation, and finally were obliged to stop from exhaustion. 



These corroborys are the occasion of much intercourse among the 

 tribes, as they frequently make visits to each other for the sole purpose 

 of carrying a new song for the dance. They have several kinds of 

 these dances, which appear to be their only amusement. In their music 

 they do not sound any of the common chords, and the only accompa- 

 niment was a kind of bass, as written below, which was in fact only a 

 very deep-toned grunt, sounded, as ho, ho, ho, very deep in the throat. 

 At the end of each dance they finished with a loud whoo, or screech, 

 an octave above the key-note. 



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The above is thought by Mr. Drayton not to be entirely native 

 music, but the following he has no doubt of; the words are given as 

 he heard them. 



pppi 



man gar merry own dunbar 



run mun gar. 



