302 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Artsand Letters. 
away to a distance. The buried wizard bolds a small bush in 
bis band, resting on bis chest; tbe bush appears, therefore, to 
be growing in tbe soil 2 and other bushes are stuck in tbe soil 
to heighten tbe 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 present instance!, the singer com¬ 
menced 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 for the disguise. The 
performers now commenced to move in a kind of slow dance, 
keeping time with the song. The performers in their 1 advanc¬ 
ing line held a small strip of bark in each hand, and by strik¬ 
ing these together with a sharp sound they marked the time of 
the song and of their steps. A little at one side, and advanc¬ 
ing with them, are two other disguised men, who represent 
two very ancient and therefore powerful wizards, by whom 
the proceedings are directed. Each one, as signifying 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 concealment, danced his 
magic dance in the grave and exhibited his magic substance®. 
. . . The ceremony is most impressive. It is 1 the bring¬ 
ing back to life of the dead wizard by other wizards invoking 
his class name.” 1 
In the Kurnai ceremonial the boys are laid asleep and are 
awakened by the “Doctor.” When they awake they are men. 
This ceremony is described by Howitt in great detail, and is 
most instructive. 2 
1 A. W. Howitt, “On Some Australian Ceremonies of Initiation.” 
Journal of the Anthropological Institute , vol. 13, pp. 432-459. This ac¬ 
count has since been reprinted in his “Native Tribes of Southeast 
Australia,” 1905. 
2 A. W. Howitt, “The Native Tribes of Southeast Australia,” 1905, 
pp. 620-626. 
