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[Page 6] 6
Poombit or Born ceremony
My first view of the Poombit ceremony - or the
making youths into men took place when I
was about ten or eleven years of age - It was
held on a scrubby flat about two miles from
our house - As a great favour my sister
was allowed to be present with my father and
me she was about seventeen at the time
and was a great favourite with the blacks
speaking their language fluently - A
condition was made that she must wear
a thick veil as no woman
was ever allowed to see the sacred
ceremony - The thick veil was worn
but there was also a convenient little
peephole which enabled her to see all
that went on - whether the blacks were aware of
this or not I cannot say. possibly they may
have "winked the other eye" having saved
their faces - but probably no other white
woman was ever allowed to see what she did -
There was the usual oval cleared space with
the banked up margin, and in the centre
a heaped up conical fire - The gins were
made to lie down around the edge of
the oval (I am not sure whether within the
oval on the outer side) They were covered
with blankets and rugs and an old black kept