The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-09-03


to intimate that I was to partake of his
hospitality. The only word of English
he knew was "white fellow" This he
repeated several times. Sometimes he
pointed to me, then to himself, patted
his breast and smiled then he would
point to the distant camp, and shake his
head and frown. Sometimes he pointed
to himself, initiated the sound of shot,
pointed up the river, then again to me,
looking eagerly at me to see whether /
comprehended him or not. / knew not
what he meant, but feigned to under
stand him, and nodded, smiled, patted
him, and repeated the word 'sboodgeree"
two or three times. He at once caught
up the word and pronounced it distinct
ly and seemed much pleased. Things
now seemed on much more satisfactory
footing My entertainer produced some
black looking kangaroo met, which he
warmed on the hot ashes then tearing
off piece with his strong teeth, he of
fered it to me. Knowing how necessary
it was to keep up the terms of friendship,
accepted it cordially, and, though
almos. sick, managed to eat portion OF
the dirty-luoking food. A drink of honey
and water was now offered me in a coole-
man, which I also politely accepted.
After the repast number OF the abo-
riginals from the neighboring fires gath
cred around me, and from their language
seemed to be making fun of me. One
fellow especially seemed great wit:
The slightest word of his suficed to set
the others in a roar of laughter. Still
it all seemed to be of a good humored
nature.
Presently my tall acquaintance,
pointing over to the other camp, made
signs that there was corroborree to be
danced. understood and nodded. Then
he gave me to understand that he and /
would go together. To this I also as
sented. Soon after this came long,
clear cry from the other camp like
pir-r-r-rr. A general movement now
took place among the men and women of
the camp in which was. They gathered
in a body, each one covered from head
to foot in 'possum-skin cloak. / arose
with my host, who bestowed on me a
cloak, and we took our places little on
one side of the rest. Another signal
arose from the distant camp, and, as If
in obedience to it, my neighbors COM
commenced to march slowly forward to-
ward whence the sound proceeded. Slow
ly, silently, solemnly they marched,
their bodies bent almost double, whose
position my friend signed me to observe.
There was something very unearthly IN
the phantom like procession. The dusky,
indistinct, muffled forms glided noise
lessly forward through the midnight
woods, sometimes entirely lost in the
shade of a large tree, and again emerg
ing, to be lost again. Fears began to
take possession of me. Why was this
singular method of approaching the cor
roborree ground observed had heard
of ceremonies of dark and secret char
acter being practiced among those tribes
at which no white man was ever present.
Was such a one now to take place? My
blood began to curdle and my flesh to
creep. I thought of flying, forgetting
for the moment the utter impossibility of
getting away from the nimble-footed,
sharp eyed savages. My tall friend,
however, seemed to divine my intentions,
for he patted my breast, then pointed to
himself assuringly, then to the large
camp of natives which we were nearing,
and shook his head, splitting with appar
ent disgust, and once more patted him.
self and me. I could not exactly tell
what he was driving at, but it seemed to
indicate friendly intentions toward my
self, and the other camp was occupied by
hostile tribe This I Iafterward learned
was the case. We had approached with
in about dozen yards of the dim fires
toward which we had been making our
way, when a similar signal to that
already given was uttered by some one
in the other camp. Upon this my COM
tions, turned their faces toward their
own camp, and remained waiting, and of
course I followed their example. An
other cry succeeded, and amost immedi-
ately bright fire followed, illuminating
the dark woods in a ruddy circle. Fling
ing off their coverings and turning sim
u1taneously round, the crowd of blacks
about me gave vent to a general "Ah!"
of wonder and surprise, not unmixed
with superstitious fear.
understood it now. The tribe were
being initiated Id corroborree they had
never seen before At the same time it
commenced. A half-circle of fires burned
brightly in front of us. Between us and
the fires were seated rows of women,
across whose knees were stretched
lightly their 'possum cloaks. They held
boomerangs in their hands, which they
beat together as they sang, keeping the
most exact time, occasionally varying
the accompaniment by beating on the
skins, producing drum-like sound. On
the far side of the fire row of forked
stakes had been driven into the ground,
and poles laid on the forks about
six feet above the ground. About
twenty savages, painted in the most
grotesque fashion, were seated all
along this rail. Their long hair was
tied tightly in knot on the top of their
heads, from the middle of which rose
tuft of cockatoo crests The soft
white down from the breasts of the same
bird clung to their eyebrows, nous
taches and boards. A red fllet passed
around the forehead and encircled the
head. Their bodies were painted with
pipeclay to initiate skeletons. Boomer
angs, stone tomahawks and knives hung
from their girdles. Holding their ell
bows close to their sides, they moved
their forearms and hands in a segment of
q circle from their waist to their ears,
first the right, then the left, in time to
the barbarous chant. Beyond those,
the chief figures in the assembly, stood a
dense crowd of fierce-eyed sable warri-
ors, leaning on their spears. Looking
around I found the men of my party
had assumed the same attitude, while the
women had taken position q little apart,
In spite of the feeling of insecurity-for
I knew that all present would think
nothing of knocking me on the head if
the whim seized them-I felt rather
II.