The Euahlayi Tribe: A Study of Aboriginal Life in Australia

wood lizard, was the principal worker, thoug

in at each other tauntingly. A little black

lizard m

crow made you

ake them generous, honest, good swimmers, and the rest; but after that they

r that he would go to the Weedegah Gahreemai, bachelors' camp. He would then be allowed to go hunting with boys and men. He would

n to a Boorah would da

p. This log was laid on the ground and firmly held there; the fire-maker squatted in front, and with the flat piece rubbed edgeways across the opening in the log. The sawdust fell quickly into the opening. After about a minute and a half's rubbing a smoke started out. After rubbing on a little lon

but whenever I timed them it w

men. As the boys began to grow up, when a good season came round, and game and g

he camp, the women, such as were still young enough to bear children, stopped their ears, for should any such hear the Gu

ugs were thrown over the children, none of whom must hear, unless they are boys old enough to

two old wirreenuns, who earlier in the evening hav

and down in the middle of the crowd of men, holding the spear, with its emblematic belt of manhood, aloft; as he does so, calling out the names of the bends of the creek, beginning wi

wah!

across the big river, and so on; at the mention of

wah!

comes the sound of the Gayandi, as the

ases, to recur sometimes during the night, when I expect, did any one s

tribes from hundreds of miles round to attend the Boorah. The messengers each carry a spear with a waywah (or belt of manhood) on the top, seeing which no tribe, even at enmity with the messenger, will molest him. When a mes

. After having given all necessary information, the Gooyeanawannah would return to his tribe; the wirreenun to whom he had given the Doolooboorah, or message-stick, would send it on by the messenger of h

ssengers, they were held in high

ibe in whose Noorumbah, or hereditary hunting lands,

rved on them the various totems and multiplex totems of the tribes. Such carvings were also put on the trees round the Bunbul, or little Boorah ring, where the branches were also in some instances lopped, and the trunks carved and painte

ge heap of wood was placed ready

ame from each tribe the boys to be initiated and the Munthdeeguns, or men in charge of them. The men were painted, and had leafy twigs tied round their wrists and ankle

pear, began calling out all the names of the places along the creeks from

Wah!

gn they had sons among the initiates; others put their hands on their shoulders, which showed they had brothers going to be made young men. All the women had leafy twigs tied round their wrists and ankles as the men had. The

oldest men with the tufted spears; the Boorah boys closely after them. The women followed,

the whole performance, and fol

e decorated women throwing their leafy missiles with accurate aim into the ranks of the boys, who did not dare to look at their assailants. A Boorah boy must give no evidence of curio

f each tribe, as they arrived, help in the preparation of the inner

Bunbul they made an earthen figure of Byamee-this figure was reclining holding in each hand a Boondee. On the other side was the huge figure of a woman-this represented Birrahgnooloo, the favourite wife of Byamee; she held two spears. There was a third figure not so large as the other two but like them, apa

oooan, there was no figure, because he was always present at Boora

und the big ring heaps of dry wood, which they said, when the ceremon

hawk's feathers on the top. Every night was heard at intervals the Gayandi, and immediately th

ith their Gayandi would go into the scrub and whirl them. These bull roarers sound curious

n; there is such a non-natural air about its Nature, as if

s some time before he got quite the effect he wanted. At first he desired to give the Boorah spirit a

He was too strong; he would not do to preside over, Boorahs. Byamee transformed him into a large piggiebillah-like animal, though instead of being covered with spines, thick hair grew over him; he has since been k

se he wanted. One day he was chopping a big Coolabah tree close to Weetalibah water-hole,

rd the whizzing sound it made, gave another ch

,' he said I'll make

end; he hung it up in the big Coolabah tree. Then he went and cut one out of Noongah or Kurrajong

his wives, came along to the big tree. Ther

look what it is.' Seeing Byamee they said,

bouts?'

Such strange voices, s

our camp and make a fire.

would answer his purpose. He carefully hid them until he made a Boorah. And since then such pieces of wood have

rations were finished, and a signal was given for a

e of the big ring and corroboreed for a little round it, the old women answered with a Boorah song, and all moved to the edge of the ring. At this stage men often tried to steal each other's boys, and great wrestling matches came o

the applause when the boys ably defended themselves. Previously they have been tried with boomerang and boodthul throwing, and other arts of sport and warfare, boy

corroborees begin. All night they are kept up