THE BURBUNG OR INITIATION CEREMONY. 123 
The men of the local tribe and all those who are sitting down 
with them, then get up and step into the ring, dancing round and 
forming into a group, and call out the names of places in their 
respective districts. These men, who may be designated the hosts, 
now go away to the camp. The men of the newly arrived con- 
tingent then return to the place where they left their women and 
swags, and all of them march on into the main camp, and com- 
mence to erect their quarters on the side facing the direction of 
the district from which they have come. 
After the new comers have had a short rest, they join the men 
of the hosts at the ngooloobul, or place where the initiated men 
meet near the camp. All the men now provide themselves with 
small boughs, which they carry in the right hand, and a boomerang 
in the other. The hosts then start in single file, walking ina 
winding line towards the ring, and are followed by the new arrivals, 
the men of each tribe keeping by themselves. When the man in 
the lead reaches the ring he steps over the bank and walks round 
near the circumference followed by the other men, until they are 
all within the ring, perhaps forming a spiral of several laps, if 
there are many men present. They now dance round several 
times, shouting out the names of a few places in their country. 
The hosts then start away along the track towards the goombo, 
halting at all the principal figures on the ground and on the trees, 
at each of which they shout in unison, and are followed by the 
Strangers, When the hosts reach the goombo, a number of the 
men go and crouch down behind the bough-fence, (/gareel )' men- 
tioned in the description of the Burbung ground, with a small 
bush in each hand. Four of the old men skilled in magical lore 
( Weearthooree ) now stand at the four heaps of earth and commence 
their performances. By this time the strangers have arrived at 
the goombo, and sit down in front of it as spectators. The men 
who were hidden behind the screen of boughs, now come dancing 
out, one after the other, waving the small bushes which they hold 
‘n their hands, and mix with their comrades. 
1 Journ. Anthrop. Inst., xxv., 306. 
