236 
DANCES. 
almost exclusively confined to young females among 
themselves. 
It has already been remarked, that the natives, on 
particular occasions, have dances which they perform 
in the day-time, which are different from others, and 
seem to have some connection with their ceremonial 
observances or superstitions. I have only witnessed 
one of these. It took place at Moorunde, in March 
1844, on the occasion of a large number of distant 
natives coming to visit the place ; and the visitors 
were the performers. The Moorunde natives were 
seated upon the brow of a sand-bank ; the strangers, 
consisting of two tribes, down in a hollow a little 
way off, among a few bushes. When ready, they 
advanced in a line towards the others, dancing and 
singing, being painted and decorated as usual, some 
having tufts of feathers placed upon their heads like 
cockades and others carrying them in their hands 
tied to short sticks. Nearly all the males carried 
bunches of green boughs, which they waved and 
shook to the time of the song. The women were 
also painted, and danced in a line with the men, 
those of each tribe stationing themselves at opposite 
ends of the line. Dancing for a while, they retired 
again towards the hollow, and after a short interval 
advanced as before, but with a person in the centre 
carrying a curious, rude-looking figure, raised up 
in the air. This singular object consisted of a large 
bundle of grass and reeds bound together, enveloped 
