New-York tribune., 1906-09-16
AN AUSTRALIAN DANCE.
The "Corroboree" of the Mattress Has
Great Significance.
By r.. Vance Palmer.


ship. the present writer remembers reading IN the
school books that the natives OF New Holland are
the lowest race earth" II was hard for rs as
children 20 reconcile the statement with the n
telligencs shown by our black playmatss. We
found the Australian aborigtles merry companions,
fun OF fun and good hunor. Our games Of 'purru-
purru." sport somewhat akin 20 Rugby football.
and swinging the "bujaram." were learned from
them. In keenness OF perception and general alac-
rity their interiors. and IN certain quality
ot cheery sportsmanshiD they were models TO all
II has been the custom 20 treat the corrobOrss
merely a Wild native dance. but It's significance Is
greater than this As art form II Is akin 20 the
modern musical comedy It Is generally Infused
with eruds spirit OF poetry which the latter lacks.
OF course. dancing IN form other is ths
natural expression OF healthy human beings. and
most races have their form OF national dance. OF
late years. however. these forms have been chiefly
confined TO the hired performers OF the ballet. and
have lost their emotional meaning. but the
rOboree Is a genuine outlet 70 the feelings OF the
aborgnsls Into il they have woven al thsiE tales
OF romance and their imaginative dreams
Some OF these cOrroboree tales have a pathos and
poignacy which show true literary instinct IN
their creators Others have a quaint favor OF mo-
rality. Take this one. for Instance. which IS gen.
eral in some form or other among ali the north
eastern tribes; native was returning from the
hunt. with his bags laden with game. An Innocent
bird hovered above his head and az length settled
on a tree before him Out OF wantonness he lifted
his boomerang and threw II with force a. the bird
But II happened that the god Targan had known
the wickedness OF his heart and had taken the
shape OF bird 10 tempt him So the boomerang
few wide OF its mark. and. coming back with the
swiftness OF lightning fash. struck its thrower
dead 10 the ground
There is a trace OF universal morality about this
that argues people not altogether devoid OF the
ethical sense To tell the truth. however. Il is
rather in the nature OF exception Most of the
corroboree tales have for their hero the wickedly
clever man. OF the strong. pitlsss OvsrHlan. who
treads every merciIessly beneath him Others
are merely fantastic dreams, handed down from
generation to generation. the folklore o. the
tribe. Here IS one OF the latter variety. para
phrased from the "reminiscences OF T. Petrie one
OF the oldest OF Queensland settlers: Three
brothers living together island n the sea
loved the same girl. the daughter OF a great
chief In return she loved one OF them the weakest
OF the three. and az length married him. To hide
her away from his brothers hs carried her 70 a
cave under the sea. and daily brought her food.
Their suspicious were aroused and they were eaten
up with jealousy, but, being double tongued they
cosxed her out with promises 10 build the couple
splendid new humpy. Then they did al in their
power 10 Kill their brother One day on the beach
lie was caught fast in shell and they left him 10
die But bird, with blood dripping from its beak
told the girl OF his fate. and she died OF grief The
| brothers thought that by finding her lover they
could bring her back 10 life but he had drffted out
70 sea, turning into fish. and then into beautiful
colored rainbow And she turned into the flowers OF
the breadfruit tree that they could always gaze
| upon one another.
Il Is curious to that the sboriginals always
persist that these stories coma them n their
sleep. A man dreams corrobOree and while r. Is
impressed vividly on his brain he tells il 10 the
head OF his tribe II the latter finds suTik-
ing, and suitable for reproduction. a prccla ION
is made. ana the necessary performers seecied on
some occasions whole day - devoted 70 dressing
form OF adornment from his neighoOr TO the on
looker OF eolrse there seems Little varsity in the
| grease and feathers axed on with blood. but the
DIVERSITY LES In tne G1Ierent patterns printed on
ins duration OF the performances ts uscessayfIv
/ regulated by the nature OF the subject II is no
uncommon thing FOR one 20 extend itself over I'VE
or six nights but the simpler ones generally last
but few hours Among these are the little lyrical
f6lA-songs ~Hlch me sooGlslIals love and OF which
they never seem 70 tIe as Tor instance. the story
/ OF the water lizard water lizard LAY oasking on
air was fun OF pleasant heat. Presently native
| came BY. and hunted the lizard away AS IL
fhe s15stancs OF tBis Is irSprsss a & ts s e
It IS 70 be noted that in all these agnativs tales
with man Birds and beasts reason son WITH tSsi-
| hunters. or form leagues and ourwit them EInus
ana kangaroos take up Lnslr positions IN the cOQn-
of faunlike alliance with nature. In one tale. a
grows nliraculOusly in order bear a hunted
man Up out OF the reach OF his enemies
counts OF wonderful foods or bush fires. GeneralIy
y 5 a rearssS s s1 IN evr srsT w,5 liVa1 a. trloes
Ike songs inserted describing Jhs occasion Once
% h5 man s f ' II lo3s os wh BsS g sas Would
not Leave her pfoBle 20 marry GiI so he renounGed
proved a skilful hunter and fighter and az length
grew i 10 venerate his name Ike That o 959 sns
the legends OF his proWess are the subject OF many
In these iengthy ones. which las, FOR several
asn the s59 s sessI soms 5asHS are more
the camp, and green room or boughs and
stage When night falls the performers. who have
spent the day sTrsyl9g .nensslyes gather together
The audience assemblies On the ground the men
doas sauatting behind The native su5stit1ts 1 f5r
an orchestra is started BY the men cIashing their
The performers fIs On singly the leading man
received with special shouts OF applause and comes
onIooker everything seems strangely suggestive OF
civilized theatre: AL tHe & S9SSis are arranged
among savage races As the clashing or bOOmerangs
the chorus, which Is repeated again and again By
It s charscteristic OF all the tales that they tend
20 Be tragic. The aborginaIs are on the whole dis
a eav Tghthsarted type and nnds Little exDressiOn
n their cOrrObOrees The pathetic and the pict-
uresgus are the chief things that move them 70
Jhey can eaeqlate-y "a 80 . n4tioi-- ~
example OF a corrOboree founded on real incident
Bohbawinta was a mighty hunter OF turtle. far
famed among the tribes Hs was young ana stro9g'
one day party OF men pa. out IN boats 70 catch catch
we're happy. and sang songs as they dragged their
nets. for they there would be big least that
night when they home with their boats laden
with spoil BObbawinra was especially merry. for
this was the sport he loved. ard he laughted ard
tested he Piled his oars Presently large
turtle was sighted. the boats quickly sncireled
= and entrapped Il IN their quickly II dived
20 the bottom, and. being a huge monster, it
plunged about TIL II had sntangled the nets IN
man grove roots. one by one divers were sent down
free the nets but they all returned unsuccessful
There shouts or 10Y when BObbawinta AZ
length plunged the side for their faith IN him
great. As the seconds went by slowly. they
could the bubbles OF air rise 20 the surface
ne worked the twisted nets Presently no bubbles
came and they watched with anxiety. for several