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o pe ra tion , w e r e n ow to be made men. P e -m u l-w y , a w o o d na tiv e ,
and m a n y flran g e r s , came in ; but th e principals in th e operation n o t
b e in g ar riv ed from C am -m e r - ra y , th e intermed ia te n igh ts w e re to be
p alled in d anc ing. A m o n g them w e o b fe rv ed one man painted w h ite
to the m id d le, his beard and e y e -b row s e x c ep ted , and all , to g e th e r a
fr ig h t fu l objedt. O th e rs w e r e d iflin g u ilh e d b y la rg e w h ite circles round
th e e y e s , w h ic h rendered them, as ter rific as. can w e ll be im agined. It
w a s no t u ntil th e 2d o f F e b ru a ry th a t the p a r t y w a s complete. In the
e v en in g o f that d a y th e people from C am -m e r - ra y a r r iv ed , am o n g '
w h om w e r e tho fe w h o w e r e to p e r fo rm th e o pe ra tion , all o f w h om
appeared to h a v e been im p a tien t ly expedted b y the o th e r natives. T h e y
w e r e painted after th e manner o f th e c o u n t ry , w e r e m o ft ly p rov id ed
w i th fhield s, and all armed w ith clubs, fp ears , and th row in g flick s .
T h e place -feledted fo r this e x tra o rd in a ry e x h ib itio n w a s at th e head o f
Farm C o v e , w h e re a fpace had been fo r fom e d ay s prepared b y clea r in g
it o f gra fs, flum p s , & e . ; it w a s o f an o v a l fig u re , the dimenfions o f it
2 7 fe e t b y 1 8 , and w a s named Y o o -Iah n g .
W h e n w e ar r iv ed at the fp o t, w e fo u n d th e p a r ty from th e n o r th
fh o re armed, and Handing at one end o f i t ; at the o th e r w e faw a
p a r ty co n fift in g o f th e b o y s w h o w e re to be g iv e n up fo r th e p urpo fe o f
lo fin g each a to o th , and th e ir fe v e ra l friends w h o ac com panied them.
T h e y then b egan the ce rem o n y . T h e armed p a r ty ad vanced from
th e ir end o f th e Y o o - la h n g w ith a-Tong o r ra the r a Ihout p e cu lia r to
th is o c c a fio n , c latte r in g th e ir Ihields and fpears, and ra ifin g a d u ll w ith
th e ir fe e t th a t n e a r ly obfcured th e objedls around th em . O n re a ch in g
the far ther end o f th e Y o o - la h n g , w h e re the ch ild ren w e re p laced, one'
o f th e p a r ty Hepped from th e c r ow d , and fe iz in g his v id tim re turn ed
w i th h im to his p a r ty , w h o re ce ived h im w i th a Ihout lo u d e r th an ufua l,
p la c in g h im in the m id fl, w h e re h e feemed defended b y a g ro v e o f
fpears from a n y a t tem p t s th a t his friend s m igh t mak e to refcue him .
In this m anner the w h o le w e r e tak en o u t, to th e n um b e r o f fifteen j
am o n g them appeared C a - ru -e y , a y o u th o f about fix te en o r fe v en te en
y e a rs o f age,, and a y o u n g man, a flran g e r to us, o f ab ou t three and
tw e n ty .
T h e n um b e r b e in g co lle c ted th a t w e r e to u n d e rg o the operation,"
th e y w e re feated at the u p p e r en d o f th e Y o o - la h n g , each h o ld in g
d ow n
d ow n the head ; his hand’s clafped, and his leg s e rod ed und er him . In
th is p ofition , au kw a rd and p ain fu l as it m u fi h a v e b e en , w e u n d e rflo od
th e y w e re to rem a in all n i g h t ; and, in flior t, that u ntil the ce rem o n y
w a s conc lud ed , th e y w e re neither to lo o k up n o r take a n y re fre lhmen t
w h a t fo e v e iv .!
■ T h e carrahdis n ow began fome o f th e ir m y flic a l rites. O n e o f them
fu d d en ly fe ll u p on the g ro u n d , and th row in g h im fe lf in to a v a r ie ty o f
attitudes, ac com panied w i th e v e r y g e flicu la tio n th a t cou ld be e x to r ted
b y p ain , appeared to be at len g th d e liv e red o f a b o n e , w h ic h w a s to be
ufed in th e enduing c e rem o n y . H e w a s d u r in g this ap p a ren tly p a in fu l
procefs encircled b y a c row d o f nativ e s, w h o danced around h im , fin g -
in g v o c ife ro u lly , w h ile one o r m ore beat him on th e b a ck un til the bone
w a s p rod uced , and h e w a s th e reb y freed from his pain.
H e had no fo on e r r ifen from the g ro u n d e x h a u fle d , d ro o p in g , and
bathed in fw e a t, th an an o th e r th r ew h im fe lf d ow n w i th fim ila r g e fli -
cu lations , w h o w en t th ro u g h th e fame ce remon ie s , and ended alfo w i th
th e p ro d u& io n o f a b on e , w i th w h ic h h e had tak en care to p ro v id e
h im fe lf, and to conceal it in a g ird le w h ic h h e w o re .
W e w e re to ld , that b y thefe mummeries (fo r th e y w e r e in fa£t n o th in g
e lfe ) the b o y s w e re afiured that the en fu in g ope ra tion w o u ld be attended
w i th fc a rc e ly a n y pain, and that th e m ore the fe carrahdis fuffered , the
le fs w o u ld be fe lt b y them.
I t b e in g n o w p e r fe c t ly dark, w e quitted the p lac e , w i th an in v ita tio n
to return e a r ly in th e m o rn in g , and a p rom ife o f m u ch enter tainment
from th e en fu in g ce rem o n y . W e le ft the b o y s fit tin g filent, and in
th e p ofition be fo re deferibed, in w h ic h w e w e r e to ld th e y w e r e to
rem ain u ntil morning.
O n rep a ir in g to the p lace fo on after d a y - lig h t , w e fo u n d the natives
fle ep in g in fmall detached parties ; and it w a s n o t un til th e fu n h ad
Ih ow n h im fe lf that a n y o f th em b egan to Hir. W e o b fe rv ed th a t th e
p eop le from the n orth Ihore flept b y th em fe lv e s , and the b o y s , th o u g h
w e heard th e y w e re not to be m o v ed , w e r e ly in g alfo b y th em fe lv e s at
fome little d iftance from the Y o o - la h n g . T o w a rd s th is , fo on after fu n -
r ife , th e carrahdis and th e ir p a r ty ad v anced in q u ic k m ov em en t, on e
after th e o th e r , Ih ou tin g as th e y entered, and ru n n in g tw ic e o r th r ice
ro u n d it. T h e b o y s w e r e then b ro u g h t to the Y o o - la h n g , h an g in g
th e ir