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dances take place — one to the word Daramulun. the otber to the word Xga- 

 lalbal. It is now that the novices are finally instructed as to this being and his 

 attributes. I have heard them told by the principal old man „This is the master 

 (Biamban), who can go anywhere and do anything". They are also cautioned 

 never to reveal this or to make such a representation unless at the ceremonies, 

 under pain of death. 



The figure is now carefully covered up, and the procession p-oceeds a 

 further stage on its march, when another halt is made and the novices are seated 

 at a distance with their guardians. The old men, meanwhile, disguise several of 

 he others with stringy bark fibre as I have before described, but in this case the 

 performers were entirely covered, face and all, and were connected together by 

 a cord passing from head to head. Düring this time a grave is dug, and one 

 of the old men, lying in it ou his back, after the m.mner of a corpse, is lightly 

 covered up with sticks and rubbish and earth, and so far as possible the natural 

 appearance of the ground is restored, the excavated earth being carried away to 

 a distance. The buried wizard holds a small bush in his hand, resting on his 

 ehest; the bush appears therefore to be growing in the soil. and othei bushes 

 are stuck in the soil to heighten the effect. All being ready the novices are 

 brought to the edge of the grave. The „singer" is somewhere close at hand, 

 and the performers at perhaps two hundred yards distance. In the instance which 

 I am now describing, the singer commenced a well — marked but melancholy 

 chant, the words of which are no more than the class — name of the buried 

 man, and the word for the stringy bark fibre used of the disguise. The per- 

 formers now commenced to move in a kind of slow dance, keeping time with 

 the song. The performers in their advancing line held a small strip of bark in 

 each hand, and by striking these together with a sharp sound they marked the 

 time of the song and of their steps. A little at one side, and advancing with 

 them, are two other disguised men, who represent two very ancient and therefore 

 powerful wizards, by whom the proeeedings are directed. Each one, as signifynig 

 his great age, assists himself in his tottering dance with a staff in each hand. 

 When the Strange procession reached the grave it wound round it and ranged 

 itself on the side opposite to the novices. The song still continued, and then the 

 bush held by the buried man began to move and to quiver — to move more and 

 more, until suddenly the earth opened, so to say, and the wizard rose, and 

 throwing off his concealement, danced his magic dance in the grave and exhibited 

 his magic substances. 



The proeeedings being over, the disguises were as before covered up and 

 concealed. 



This ceremony is most impressive. It is the bringing back to life of the 

 dead wizard by other wizards invoking his class name. In this case the buried 



