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Some had fresh beads of gum fastened on to their hair, hanging round their heads in dozens. The women, too, had coiffured themselves with fresh gum beads; the mothers of the Boorahbayyi were painted, too, in corroboree style. They had made a smoke fire, but the logs instead of being put on it, were placed at a little distance; on these the painted boys sat, the smoke enveloping them.
On the top of these leaves, which were piled about two feet high, logs were placed; this fire was round a Dheal tree. When the thick smoke was seen curling up in a column, the Boorahbayyi were brought out of the scrub by the Munthdeegun, while in the distance sounded the whizzing voice of the Boorah spirit. As it ceased, when the women's chanting rose above it, the painted boys came into the open.
On the fourth day the men took them about ten miles, and camped with them where they could hear faintly in the distance the noise of the main camp; so they knew they were near the place chosen for the Durramunga, or Little Boorah. Just before dawn next morning each Munthdeegun took his Boorahbayyi, or partially initiated one, to the Durramunga.
When the trials were over and the old wirreenuns said to the boys who had not quailed, 'You are brave; you shall be boorahbayyi first and afterwards yelgidyi, and carry the marks that all may know. Then they made on the shoulder of each boy a round hole with a pointed stone; this hole they licked to feel no splinter of stone remained, then filled it with powdered charcoal.
The women past child-bearing were singing all the time, while the men danced outside the leaf-smoke, clicking boomerangs as they did so. For some time this went on, then the men took the boys back into the scrub. In about four moons' time another leaf-smoke was made ready, and the Boorahbayyi were again brought out and smoked.
Delah boombee. Nulgah delah boombee boombee. Buddereebah . . . . . . Eumoolan. Dooar wullah doo. Boombee nulgah delah. The old fellow said wherever Byamee had travelled this song was known, but no one now knew the meaning of the whole, not even the oldest wirreenuns. Another stone was given to a Boorahbayyi when he first heard this song.
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