Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/169

 his uttering a cry, while at the same time he stahs him aboTe the breast bone with the pointed stick. He then remoTes the body to some distance, takes out the kidney fat, and returns in triumph. There is something in this, very like what we hear of the Thugs in India.

The natiyes are passionately fond of their corrobarees, or dances; and it is here that they are seen to the greatest advantage. When thus engaged, they paint themselves fantastically with pipe-clay. Each man paints himself to suit his fancy; the only uniformity which they observe, being in the lines on the legs and on the face. When a number of them are seen together by firehght, the effect is much that of milltary uniforms, and this resemblance is heightened by their wearing round the waist a belt of some bright colour, the ends of which hang down before and behind. But the strangest addition to their costume are the bushes which they tie round their ancles, and which are supposed, by their rustling, to heighten the effect of the performance. When preparing for the dance, they put a piece of pipeclay into their mouths, which they chew, and then mark themselves with the forefinger. I have been amused watching the seriousness with which they perform this operation: no young lady dressing for a ball could take more pains. Their movement in the dance is a very singular one. The action is entirely in the thigh, which, by a strong muscular exertion, they move backwards and forwards without stirring the foot, further than that it partakes of a lateral movement which is given to the whole body. This motion of the thighs is in strict time with the musical accompaniment,