Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu/563

IX side of it nearest to its own country. The Kabos and their boys had a camp by themselves, in the rear of the huts of the men from Manero and Braidwood, in order to separate them from any of their relations and friends. The Kabos cut boughs and made a couch on which the novices lay down covered with their blankets. Their guardians sat by them, occasionally talking to and instructing them.

The younger men stripped sheets of bark from the trees and made the huts which composed the camp, went down to the creek for water, and built up the fires, one for each hut, while in the middle of the open space round which the huts had been pitched the old men built up the magic fire called Talmaru, which was soon burning brightly. This fire is built by driving a stake into the ground and then leaning pieces of wood up against it all round to form a cone about three feet in height.

All the fires at the camp are spoken of in the language of the ceremonies as Talmaru, and not by the word which means "fire" in their tongue. It may be said with truth that there is a special language appropriate to the Kuringal ceremonies, which is not used elsewhere, and which is only known to the initiated.

On the north side of the Talmaru was the Moruya camp, on the south side that of the men from the coast, south of Bega, while on the western side were the Bemeringal; and, as I came from that direction, my camp was with them. With me was my messenger, having in his charge my bull-roarer, and it was his duty "officially," if I may so use that word, to look after me and obey my orders, as being one of the Gommeras or Headmen who had started the Kuringal. My old friend Umbara, who was alone, having come in a boat from his home at the Waloga lake, joined me, and had his hut on one side, while Yibai-malian, being a Bemeringal, was on the other.

The encampment having been thus satisfactorily arranged, and the men having rested after their exertions, it became necessary, as Umbara put it, to rouse them up by swinging the Mudthi; but as Mragula, the old Wolgal singer, was