120 W. J. ENRIGHT. 



Should he desire anything he must touch one of the men who con- 

 tinues to question until he gets an affirmative nod from the boy. 

 Often the man who has charge of the boy will at once know what 

 is the novice's desire, but in order to test him will refrain from 

 putting the proper question. During their stay in the keelaybang 

 no meat is given to the boys until it has been cut into small pieces 

 and the bone and sinew carefully removed. In some tribes the 

 boys are given human urine to drink and excrement to eat, but at 

 the present time this is not practised amongst the Kutthung, nor 

 have I been able to discover whether it was ever in vogue, but 

 the name goonanduckyer 1 hints at its existence. 



Should a boy desire to micturate he is allowed to do so at one 

 of the tires, alternating the operation at each fire. Any other 

 call of nature is obeyed outside the camp, one of the initiates all 

 the time keeping guard over him. After some days spent in this 

 camp, the cry of a dingo (mirree), will be heard near it. This 

 noise or howl is uttered by men who have come from the women's 

 camp, and is answered by a shout from the keelaybang. When 

 the new arrivals get in sight they march in single file towards the 

 camp, with bushes in front of them which they throw down on 

 their arrival and execute a dance. The men who have charge of 

 the boys pick up these bushes and commence dancing with them 

 in their hands, all the while stripping off the leaves. The object 

 of this visit appears to be to ascertain when the novitiate will be 

 completed and a return made to the camp. Several of such visits 

 may possibly have to be made before the initiation is accomplished. 

 During their stay the boys are taught the sacred songs of the 

 tribes and the laws relating to the class system ; they also com- 

 mence to learn an entirely new language. In this new language 

 the returning boomerang (barrakun) is known as dulla, and the 

 woomera (yukri) is called burrumba. The learning of this 

 language is a matter of time, and the knowledge acquired of it is 

 useful in ascertaining whether a man is an initiate. 



1 Stercus humanum edens. 



