TS R. H. MATHEWS. 
she can hold in her hand one of the tails which are attached to 
the sides of his girdle. The other women and children are also 
told to lie down, and the men cover them all over with the rugs 
and bushes which had been got ready for that purpose. A few of 
the men stand on guard with spears in their hands to see that 
none of the women or children attempt to remove their covering 
or look up. Little children who cannot speak are not covered up, 
but are allowed to remain standing or sitting among the women, 
because they are not able to report anything which they may see. 
When all the necessary preparations have been made, the 
principal headman gives the signal, and two men approach from 
the direction of the goombo, sounding bullroarers, one man taking 
up his position on one side of the burbung, and the other man on 
the opposite side. Three or four other men also make their 
appearance, each having in his hand a piece of bark, dhooroong;: 
already described under the head of “ Daily Ceremonies at the 
Camp.” These men enter the Burbung and go round once beat- 
ing the ground with the dhooroong, but not shouting, and then 
run away quietly towards the goombo. 
It not unfrequently happens that small pieces of the bark used 
by the men in beating the ground, break off and remain in the 
ring, or rebound over the bank amongst the women. Some of the 
young men standing around watch for these fragments, and very 
carefully pick them up immediately, at the same time obliterating 
the imprints left on the ground where struck by the mungas- 
These precautions are taken so that the women, when they get UP 
presently, may not be able to obtain any clue to the cause of the 
terrible thumping sounds produced in this manner. They até 
persuaded that it is caused by the trampling of the Evil Spirit 
when walking about taking the boys away, and that the noise 
made by the bullroarer is his awe-inspiring voice. 
While the bullroarers are being sounded, and the men are beat 
ing the ground with the bark, the other men who are standing 
1 These pieces of bark are also called mwnga and barrung barrung- 
