Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-11-16
AUSTRALASIA.
A ''COrrObOree'' in New South Wales.

? a correspondent of the NclU YOrk
5 Herald describes a eorroboree which
was held recently at Stroud, New
South Wales, in the following words
| and with fine efTect:-
. It is a dark, very dark night, and
the village OF Stroud, New South
Wales, is wrapped in the mournfil
J Stiffness characteristic of bush settle
: ments. The hour is fast approaching
midnight, and the night winds blow
softly, when, 10, a sound is waited
through the groves of neighbOring
gum trees. A sound, not Of angels
whispers nor Of fairy songs, but as of
b tiends broke loose from a warmer
place than the wilds Of Terra Austria
lis, but whose geographical position II
is needless to describe here. what
can this hullabalOO (''making night
hideous") signify? A moments re-
Election tells US. The 24th was the
Oueen's birthday and many abOrigines
have been camped i'm the neighbOr-
hood since then. They are having a
corrObOree, of course. We are two
new chums," lately imported from
London, aud wishing to see the mo
ble savage" in all his glory, a few
minutes walk through the bush
brings us to the scene of action. I'M
agine, gentle reader, or If you can {
imagine take it for granted, clear
space Of about fifty yards long by
forty wide, surrounded by gum trees
(what place in New South Wales is
not surrounded by rum trees?l in the
centre of which is a huge fire, large
enough to roast a herd of cattle at
once, for wood being plentiful in the
ghbOrhOOd-Str0ud not being like
~ 10 run short Of that useful domestic
necessity for a considerable number
Of centuries-the children Of the for
est have piled on the agOnyn with a
will.
We are now within the rustic arena
and we stand wondering spectators of
the scene. What a strange sight !!
Danteis Inferno" and Virgil's de-
scent 10 the lower regions, with nu-
merOus other hellish imaginings, both
ancient and modern, crowd upon our
heated Imagination for we have
taken up our position close to the fire.
Z There are gunyahs to the right Of IL,
guuyahs 10 the left Of us, gunyahs in
front and gunyahs behind, and in
front of each guuyah there is a small
fire. So that looking at this strange
/ picture I'm a fiery light and with an
/ eve to science and a wink at astrOnO-
/ my, the large centre fire may be con-
sidered as a planet and the small fires
dotted around its attendant satellites,
the blacks, Of course, inhabiting the
said planet on the outside" But
we are in the midst of a primitive
D l. IL Ar.a gnia0Nff flo
comparisons. Seated around the een-
/ tire file are the women and children
of the tribe, the former indulging in
short pipes and the latter employed as
[ black children usually are. They are
strange looking beings, these abOrigin-
al women of Australia. with their
heavy round features, flat noses and
wide, sensual looking mouths. They
are even uglier than their lords. But
stay; there is one pretty child among
the group, girl Of some ten summers,
with oval features, finely cut lips,
delicately penciled eyebrows and dark
beaming eyes. Thou art a winsOme
child of the forest, youngster; there is
a dash of white blood beneath thy
tinted skin.
Now the mystic rites begin and the
bright fires cast a fitful glare around
and light up the fantastically shaped
gum trees that look as if they had
been designed by Gustave DOre. In
the distance groups OF dusky figures
con e like phantoms and depart under
the trees, whence occasionally a shout
issues, and burst of flame from a fire
stick is seen. These are the perform
ers decorating themselves for the
and, squatting down near tile centre
fire, beat time with sticks to a low,
mOnotOnOus chant. All the spectators
men, women and children-sit down
on the ground, some beating time
with sticks. whilst Others assume an
air of mute astOnishment. The dan
cPrs-all men-nOw appear, most of
them in a state of nudity, while others
wear a small cloth girded around their
lOins. They are painted on the chest
and down the legs with broad white /
lines, and in their hands are "wad- |
dies" and spears, which they flourish /.
about in all directions. The dancers I
now move in a compact body to with |
in a short distance Of the spectatOTs.-I
After standing for a few minutes in |
silence, they suddenly burst out into |
deep, terrific yell, and the leader of /
the dance, a tall, gentlemanly-lOOking 4.
savage, with no clothes on, steps for |
ward and commences stamping, the f.
rest all joining in, and keeping time 1
with the singers, gradually increasing I
the violence of their movements until
the scene assumes a character which .
words fail to convey.
See, there is "Old King Jemmie,"
with brass badge in the shape of a
crescent slung over his right shoulder
and which tells you that its owner
once possessed a territory larger than
many a German principality. See
him now in all his native glory, ,divest-
ed Of white fellah's clothesn and
"dOing" his war dance to the music
of two dried sticks, There was a
his war cry made the well
kin ring, but his voice is weak now
and pipes with age, and his martial
spirit has given way to the spirit of
rum. The once savage chieftain is
now a British subject, often wears a
coat and is proud Of his
inexpTessiblcs. But glance at the
other dancers.
There is one very tall and of stately
mien who goes through his steps with
the undertaking correctness of an
dancer. This is "Char-
liz" =" and this same Charlie has been
TO England and played at Lords
against the All England Eleven. He
j. the cOmlieSt of the batch, eschews
clothes on this occasion and wears
a pocket handkerchief in lieu of an
apron. On his right Is a man Of most
ferOciOus aspect, with a mouth of in
ordinate proportions, into which is
thrust a short clay pipe, which he
smokes with the most persevering en-
ergy, as he goes through the strange
gyratiOns of the eOrrObOree dance, now
Jumping in the air with a wild yell,
now making hideOus faces at the spec
tators, who applaud his activity by
loud laughter.
But look, there is another tall saw
age. of giant like proportions, quite
in an al freScO state, his only attempt
at OrnamentatiOn being a string of
glass beads worn round his neck
There is q seriO-comic expression of
observable in this giant
of the tribe as he steps forward to ex-
ecute his dance. and there is a general
litter audible around. See his large
glaring eyes and face turn heaven
ward at the pale round moon that
sheds her lustre upon his sable brow,
as he wields his war club in the air,
dancing frantieally the while to the
chant of his companions.
Tbara IL a r,arsa He throws his club