THE BURBUNG OR INITIATION CEREMONY. 147 
front of the semicircle—the boy shaking the bush which he carries 
in his hand. The old men then deliberate what name shall be 
given to him, and when this point has been decided, the name is 
called out, upon which all the men present shout “ Wir-r-r!” in 
unison. The boy and his guardian then retire and stand on one 
side. Another guardian and his novice are then called out ina 
similar manner, and when the name has been given they also 
retire, and stand beside the previous pair. This procedure is 
repeated until all the novices have been named, and are standing 
in a row at a different place to that at first occupied by them— 
the bushes which they carried being thrown down. Some of the 
armed men then step out in front of the neophytes and repeat 
the caution as to the consequences which will ensue if they divulge 
any of the secret ceremonies which they have passed through in 
the bush. 
Another start is now made towards the women’s camp, and on 
nearing it, the men whistle and keep repeating “ Bir-r! Bir-r!” 
and are answered by the mothers of the novices. On getting 
within about a hundred yards of the appointed place the guardians 
halt for a few minutes, and take the novices on their shoulders, 
and start on abreast till they get within twenty or thirty yards of 
the thurrawonga, where they again come to a stand. The 
kooringal are behind the guardians, and in the rear a bullroarer 
is sounded by one of the men. While the guardians are getting 
the boys on their shoulders,’ a number of the kooringal file into 
the thurrawonga through the archway, and stand in rows along 
the wall to the right and left. 
The guardians then enter the thurrawonga, and step up on the 
_ platform, keeping the boys on their shoulders. The mothers, who 
are standing near the fires, then advance, each having a spear in 
her hand, to the upper end of which is attached the dhwllaboolga 
or tail which she took from her son’s girdle the morning he left 
the Burbung. She raises the end of the spear towards the boy, 
*“The Bunan Ceremony of New South Wales.”—American Anthro- 
Pologist, IX., 342 : ; 
