can run, until prompted by manhood to realize their sports, amuse themselves with stealing the females, and treat them at this time very little better than they do then.

Between the ages of eight and sixteen, the males and females undergo the operation which they term Gna-noong, viz. that of having the septum of the nose bored, to receive a bone or reed, which among them is deemed a very great ornament, though the articulation is frequently rendered very imperfect by it. Between the same years also the males receive the qualifications which are given to them by losing one front tooth. Lieutenant-Colonel Collins, several years Judge Advocate and Secretary of the colony, was so fortunate as to be present at this remarkable ceremony. We will detail the most interesting circumstances which he noted.

On the 25th of January, 1795, the natives assembled in considerable numbers, for the purpose of performing this ceremony; as several youths well known in the settlement, never having submitted to the operation, were now to be made men. Pe-mul-wy, a wood native, and many strangers, came in; but the principals in the operation not being arrived from Cammer-ray, the intermediate nights were to be passed in dancing; for which purpose they were ornamented in their best manner, and certainly displayed a variety of tastes. One was painted white to the middle, his beard and eyebrows excepted, others were distinguished by large white circles round the eyes, which rendered them as terrific as can be well imagined. It was not until the second of February that the party was complete. In the evening of that day the people from Cammer-ray arrived, among whom were those who were to perform the operation. They were painted after the manner of their country, were mostly provided with shields, and all armed with clubs, spears, and throwing sticks. The place selected for this extraordinary exhibition was at the head of Farm Cove, where a space had been for some days prepared by clearing it of grass, stumps, &c.; it was an oval figure, the dimensions of it 27 feet by eighteen, and was named Yoo-lahng.

When Colonel Collins reached the spot, he found the party from the North Shore armed, and standing at one end of it; at the other were the boys who were to be given up for the purpose of losing each a tooth, with their several friends who had accompanied them.

The ceremony then began. The armed party advanced from their end of the Yoo-lahng, with a song or rather a shout peculiar to the occasion, clattering their shields and spears, and raising a dust with their feet that nearly obscured the objects around them. On reaching the children one of the party stepped from the crowd, and seizing his victim returned with him to his party, who received him with a shout louder than usual, placing him in the midst, where he seemed defended by a grove of spears from any attempts that his friends might make to rescue him. In this manner the whole were taken out, to the number of fifteen; these were seated at the upper end of the Yoo-lahng, each holding down the head; his hands clasped, and his legs crossed under him. In this position, aukward and painful as it must have been, it was said they were to remain all night; and, until the ceremony was concluded, they were neither to look up nor take any refreshment whatscever.

The Carrahdis now began some of their mystical rites. One of them suddenly fell upon the ground, and, throwing himself into a variety of attitudes, accompanied with every gesticulation that could be extorted by pain, appeared to be at length delivered of a bone, which was to be used in the ensuing ceremony. He was during this apparently painful proeess encircled by a crowd of natives, who danced around him, singing vociferously, while one or more beat him on the back until the bone was produced, and he was thereby freed from his pain.

He had no sooner risen from the ground, exhausted, droop-* ing, and bathed in sweat, than another went through the same ceremonies, and ended also with the production of a bone, with which he had prudently provided himself, and concealed it in a girdle that he wore. By these mummeries the boys were assured that the ensuing operation would be attended with little pain, and that the more these Carrahdis suffered, the less would be felt by them.

Next morning, after day-light, Colonel Collins found the natives sleeping in small detached parties; and it was not until the sun had shown himself that any of them began to stir. The people of the North Shore slept by themselves, and the boys, though it had been said they were not to move, were lying also by themselves. Soon after sun-rise, the Carrahdis and their party advanced in quick movements towards the Yoo-lahng, one after the other, shouting as they entered, and running twice or thrice round it. The boys were then brought to the Yoo-lahng, hanging their heads and clasping their hands. On being seated in this manner the ceremonies began, the principal performers in which appeared to be about twenty in number, and all of the tribe of Cam-mer-ray.

The exhibitions now performed were numerous and various; but all of them in their tendency pointed towards the boys, and had some allusion to the principal act of the day, which was to be the concluding scene of it. The young men, fifteen in number, were seated at the head of the Yoolahng, while those who were to be the operators paraded several times round it, running upon their hands and feet, and imitating the dogs of the country. Their dress was adapted to this purpose; the wooden sword stuck in the hinder part of the girdle which they wore round the waist, did not, when they were crawling on all-fours, look much unlike the tail of the dog curled over his back. Every time they passed the place where the poor dismal-looking boys were seated, they threw up the sand and dust on them with their hands and their feet. During this ceremony the boys continued perfectly still and silent, never once moving themselves from the position in which they were placed, nor seeming in the least to notice the ridiculous appearance of the Carrahdis and their associates. It was understood, that by this ceremony power over the dog was given to them, and that it endowed them with whatever good or beneficial qualities that animal might possess.

The next scene was opened by a stout robust native carrying on his shoulders a kangooroo made of grass, and another carrying a load of brush-wood. The others sung and beat time to the steps of the two loaded men, who appeared as if they were almost unable to move under the weight of the burthen which they carried on their shoulders. Halting every now and then, and limping, they at last deposited their load at the feet of the young men, and retired from the Yoolahng, as if they were excessively fatigued by what they had done. It must be noticed, that the man who carried the brushwood had thrust one or two flowering shrubs through the septum of the nose. He exhibited an extraordinary ap-' pearance in the scene. By this offering of the dead kangooroo was meant the power that was now given them of killing that animal; the brush-wood might represent its haunt.

The boys were left seated at the Yoo-lahng for about an hour; during which the actors went down into a valley near the place, where they fitted themselves with long tails made of grass, which they fastened to the hinder part of their girdles, instead of the sword, which was laid aside during the scene. Being equipped, they put themselves in motion as a herd of kangooroos, now jumping along, then lying down and scratching themselves, as those animals do when basking in the sun. One man beat time to them with a club on a shield, while two others, armed, attended them all the way, pretending to steal upon them unobserved and spear them. This was emblematical of one of their future exercises, the hunting of the kangooroo. The scene was altogether whimsical and curious; the valley where they equipped themselves was very romantic, and the occasion perfectly novel.

On the arrival of this curious party at the Yoo-lahng, it passed by the boys as the herd of kangooroos; and then, quickly divesting themselves of their artificial tales, each man caught up a boy, and placing him on his shoulders, carried him off in triumph toward the last scene of this extraordinary exhibition. It must be remarked, that the friends and relations of the young people by no means interfered, nor attempted to molest these North Shore natives in the execution of their business.

After walking a short distance, the boys were let down from the shoulders of the men, aud placed in a cluster, standing with their heads inclined on their breasts, and their hands clasped together. Some of the party now disappeared for above ten minutes, to arrange the figure of the next scene. Colonel Collins was not admitted to witness this business, about which they appeared to observe a greater degree of mystery and preparation than he had noticed in either of the preceding ceremonies. He was at length, however, desired to come forward, when he found the boys with their attendants placed apart, and fronting them two men, one seated on the stump of a tree bearing another man on his shoulders, both with their arms extended. Behind these were seen a number of bodies lying with their faces toward the ground, as close to each other as they could lie, and at the foot of another stump of a tree were placed two other figures in the same position as the preceding.

As the boys and their attendants approached the first of these figures, the men who formed it began to move themselves from side to side, lolling out their tongues, and staring as widely and horribly with their eyes as they possibly could. After this mummery had continued some minutes, the men separated for them to pass, and the boys were now led over the bodies lying on the ground. These immediately began to move, writhing as if in agony, and uttering a mournful dismał sound, like very distant thunder. Having passed over these bodies, the boys were placed before the second figures,

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