3796.] 



OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



367 



On his repairing to the place foon after day-light, he found the 

 natives fleeping in fin all "detached parties ; and it was not until the 

 fun had mown himfelf that any of them began to ftir. The people 

 of the North Shore flept by themfelves, and the boys, though it had 

 been faid they were not to move, were lying alio by themfelves. Soon 

 after fun-rife, the Carrahdis and their party advanced in quick move- 

 ments towards the Yoo-lahng, one after the other, fhouting as they 

 entered, and running twice or thrice round it. The boys were then 

 brought to the Yoo-lahng, hanging their heads and clafping their 

 hands. On being feated in this manner the ceremonies began, the 

 principal performers in which appeared to be about twenty in number, 

 and all of the tribe of Cam-mer-ray. 



The exhibitions now performed were numerous and various ; but 

 ail of them in their tendency pointed toward the boys, and had fome 

 allufion to the principal acl: of the day, which was to be the conclud- 

 ing fcene of it. The ceremony will be found pretty accurately repre- 

 fented in the annexed Engravings (page 374). 



Ncx 1. — Reprefents the young men, fifteen in number, feated at 

 the head of the Yoo-lahng, while thofe who were to be the operators 

 paraded feveral times round it, running upon their hands and feet, 

 and imitating the dogs of the country. Their drefs was adapted to this 

 purpofe ; the wooden fword (luck in the hinder part of the girdle 

 which they wore round the waift, did not, when they were crawling 

 on all-fours, look much unlike the tail of the dog curled over his back. 

 Every time they paffed the place where the poor difmal-looking boys 

 were feated, they threw up the fand and duft on them with their hands 

 and their feet. During this ceremony the boys continued perfectly 

 ftill and filent, never once moving themfelves from the pohtion in 

 which they were placed, nor feeming in the leaft to notice the ridicu- 

 lous appearance of the Carrahdis and their affociates. 



It was underftood, that by this ceremony power over the dog was 

 p-iven to them, and that it endowed them with whatever good or bene- 

 ficial qualities that animal might poffefs. 



The 



