428 R. H. MATHEWS. 



four feet wide in the western circumference. Thence a 

 straight narrow pathway, called thunburnga, was carefully 

 cleared through the forest in a westerly direction for four 

 hundred and sixty yards to the goonaba or smaller circle, 

 made in the same manner as the other. Inside the goonaba 

 there had originally been the usual inverted stumps, war- 

 rengallee, one being box and the other sandalwood, but they 

 had been pulled out and burnt at the conclusion of the Bora 

 ceremonies. The path connecting the circles was formed 

 by scraping the top surface smooth, and piling the loose 

 soil along each side. During the ceremonies it was swept 

 and water put on it at each end where it entered the circles 

 — the soil being rather sandy. My native guides accom- 

 panied me all the time to explain details. 



Starting along the pathway from the boora, at a distance 

 of sixty yards was the imitation of an arbour or " play- 

 house" of the bower-bird, called iveeta in the Kamilaroi 

 language. It was at the base of a low, small bush close to 

 the right hand side. In the mythologic past, the iveeta 

 was an eminent "medicine man" among the Kamilaroi and 

 neighbouring tribes, x and his bower was always represented. 



At 265 yards from the boora was a huge male figure 

 representing Baiamai, with his arms extended outwards, 

 formed of loose earth heaped to the height of two feet. The 

 length was 15 feet, and the measurement between the out- 

 stretched hands 12 feet 3 inches. The image was lying on 

 the back, parallel to the path, with the head towards the 

 goonaba. On the other side of the path opposite to Baiamai, 

 was his wife, Gunnanbeely, formed of loose earth heaped 

 1 foot 6 inches. The length of the body was 10 feet and 

 the width between the extended hands 8 feet. She was 

 also lying on the back, but instead of being parallel to the 



1 See my "Ethnological Notes on the Australian Aborigines," (Sydney, 

 1905), pp. 179-181. 



