thrust them back. This man knows that he has authority, and he takes care to let all people know that he means to exercise it.
When the dancers have sufficiently exercised themselves, when they have gone through all the evolutions that are possible to them, having regard to the kind of dance in which they are engaged, they suddenly change their line; they mingle together for a moment, then form in lines four deep, the front men quickly separate, and those behind advance, and in this way they move towards the women. At this moment they appear to be a confused mass of bodies, so jumbled together as to cause alarm to white spectators, who cannot believe that in the rapid movements of their sticks they will not break each other's heads. But the whole is concerted, and is a part of the machine-like arrangement of the dance. They shout, they stamp and jump; the women beat their opossum skins louder and louder, singing to the utmost pitch of their voices; and at last the leader gives a heavy stroke with his sticks, which at that moment are held high over his head, and the dancers disappear; the women take up their rugs and repair to their miams, and the dance is done. The men are much exhausted after their exertions, and are glad to seek repose.
Mr. Thomas states that a grand corrobboree, formed of the people of four tribes, was held many years ago on the ground now occupied by the buildings of the Supreme Court in Melbourne. One of the dancers was speared while in the act of dancing, whether by accident or design is not known; and afterwards the men were careful to stick their spears in the ground or lay them by their sides during the performance of the corrobboree. They did this to show that spear-throwing was not to be permitted at such ceremonies.
William Buckley gives an account of a corrobboree where men and women and boys and girls were engaged in dancing. He says:—
"At last all the women came out naked—having taken off their skin rugs, which they carried in their hands. I was then brought out from the hut by the two men, the women surrounding me. I expected to be thrown immediately into the flames; but the women having seated themselves by the fire, the men joined the assemblage armed with clubs more than two feet long; having painted themselves with pipeclay, which abounds on the banks of the lake. They had run streaks of it round the eyes, one down each cheek, others along the forehead down to the tip of the nose, other streaks meeting at the chin, others from the middle of the body down each leg; so that altogether they made a most horrifying appearance, standing round and about the blazing night fire. The women kept their rugs rolled tight up, after which they stretched them between the knees, each forming a sort of drum. These they beat with their hands, as if keeping time with one of the men who was seated in front of them singing. Presently the men came up in a kind of close column, they also beating time with their sticks, by knocking them one against the other, making altogether a frightful noise. The man seated in front appeared to be the leader of the orchestra, or master of the band—indeed I may say master of the ceremonies generally. He marched the whole mob, men and women, boys and girls, backwards and forwards at his pleasure, directing the singing and dancing, with the greatest decision and air of authority. This scene must have
