Blacks of the Manning River District, New South Wales, 1851-1912 - Page 71

I can only express it by Smash, Smash, Smash

and I soon saw it  was caused by a lot of Men

beating on their sticks with their Womeras, they

were all pipeclay from head to foot, shields &

womeras the same, all but their hair, it looked

very strange as they came down the Flat = full

trot, follow my leader = over logs, over bushes if

not too high, keeping splendid time, it looked

like an emence big snake coming down the  

flat = Down the Flat was the same noise and

the same string of Blacks, the two Parties met

at the fire. Then the two leaders (Old Johoney

Martin and Old Gohanak) made signes, and ran

round the ring of prostrate Women with the

men guarding them three times but not all the

same way, so that they croßed = in and out = it

is very hard to discribe = but the efect was very

pretty = then at a shout from one of the Leaders

they aoll took hold of hands and formed a

ring = ther arms stretched out and their

legs, so that their feet almost touched, straining  

the ring as tight as they could -= the Boy was

part of this ring, but hnis head was bowed

down - onto his chest = The Women were then

uncovered and they came away to camp  

and the Guards came out of the ring, the

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