Blacks of the Manning River District, New South Wales, 1851-1912 - Page 72

You are here

Transcription

Children were uncovered = Next there was

rather a strange thing I thought at the time

The Mother of the boy then threw off her blanket

and went up to the boy as he stood [?]of the ring

made by the Pipe clayed Darkies = put her

hands on his shoulders and with the sole of

her foot scroked him down as far as she could

reach = then came away crying = then his aunt

went and did the same = ?is this a form

of bleßing ? you must understand that from

this out the Boys Mother has nothing to do do

with him = he will be a Man = independent

Old Goanah then went into the ring with

a shield and Womera and commenced singing

& beating on the shield - dancing round all the

time, I asked what the song was but the only

answer I could get was -"Blackfellow always

like oif that" I think the words are not understood

by them -[After he had done, the men forming the

ring began to sway slightly to the right, then to

the left, all singing out "Ough!" at every sway, con-

tracting the circle all the time, untill they were

shoulder to shoulder, Then all of them rushed

into the fire, holding the Boy in the middle, so

that he did not touch the fire, they jumped

up and down a number of times, shouting

                                       (68)

This page has its status set to Completed and is no longer transcribable.