B 505: Lecture on the Aborigines of Australia and papers on Wirradhurrei dialect, 1837-1840

of affection, but they dared not think of ever being married, because they happened to [indecipherable] [indecipherable] ficticiously related, otherwise there was not the slightest ['affinity' crossed out] consanguinity between them. However when they heard that I would approve of their union, they agreed to be wedded with the understanding that I would protect them against any interference from their own people. This I promised to do to the utmost in my power & they felt secure. [crossed out: I had to perform a distant] They wer solemnly united in my presence though not exactly according to our usual Marriage Ceremony. As sooon as their Marriage became known among the Blacks, the greatest possible excitement was produced amonst them. It was unpardonable in these two young people to marry each other being brother & sister & it was very wrong of [indecipherable] further to allow it, or even to aid them in their unlawful doings, but of course he knew no better, such was their murmerings & loud complaints. They even went to the nearest Crown Lands Commisioner & Magistrate [crossed out: exclaiming against me ] complaining [crossed out: in violent terms] against me & upbraiding the young couple. The worthy Magistrate paid me a friendly visit to ascertain

what had caused such a burst of indignation & clamour among the Blacks, and was highly amused when I explained the nature of our offence. Had this young couple not lived under my protection & had the old men not been afraid of the European police, I have no doubt their lives would have been in danger. still after a time the Blacks became more or less [reconciled?] to this unlawful match * But I must hasten to another subject lest I weary you with the one on which I have enlarged so much. I will give you then a statement as far as I can of the [crossed out: custom] ceremony of making young men & its probable origin and aim. It is the age of about 14 or so, from 13 to 15, or as you [indecipherable] may imagine at the age of puberty every boy is subject to a new rule, to great restrictions, and has to pass through a certain ceremony to be initiated in this his changed condition his head or hair also is dressed [in margin: from this time in the usual fashion with a band around the same. The custom may remind one of the toga of manhood put on by the Romans also] The ceremony is this: As any serious voice is first heard resembling somewhat the bellowing of cattle several nights in succession at a convenient distance from the camp. This is [crossed out: solemnly] gravely likened to by all & explained by the old men to be the call of Bubu, a mysterious being, he does summon some [crossed out: young] boys to [crossed out: be made] attend

the ceremony of being made young men. After a few days the old men name the [crossed out: young men] boys who are to obey this mysterious call, the whole camp moves off to the Burborg some times several neighboring tribes join in the ceremony. It usually takes place in a certain spot. A circle is formed by clearing the grass or shrub away. The women & children are kept at a distance . After various preliminary movements when all is arranged & the boys placed in the middle of the circle, the elders now surrounding them a mysterious huge looking being masked with branches makes his appearance, then the ceremony commences. The particulars of it are generally kept a profound secret among the Blacks, no European is admitted to witness the proceedings. But the [crossed out: young men] boys passing through this ordeal are kept nearly all night standing, have to pass through various gestures & movements, have with great threat sustain rules & customs [crossed out: inculcated] enforced on them and further brought under a kind of military submission to the old men, have for a few weeks to remain by themselves in a retired place and are prohibited certain kinds of food most of the best [crossed out: kinds] sorts of food especially eggs. [Margin: In some tribes a first tooth is knocked out as part of the ceremony imposed on the young men but that is not general, it was not done in the Wellington tribe. The young men are thus

fish (- The richest & most delicate [crossed out: kind of] food is always alloted to the the elderly men. -) Above all are the newly made young men forbidden to come into the presence of a woman, they dare not ever speak to their own mothers or sisters. This has often caused us much inconvenience, when we wished to instruct them together or assemble them at Divine Service or address them at the camp. I might be standing at the front of my house, conversing with some women, a few men might come in sight, wanting to see me, but they were bound to make a detour some 2 or 300 yards off and I had either to follow them, or else first warn the women off before they could speak to me. Theses rules have no doubt a well [crossed out: intended] considered origin aiming at a moral tendency, and serve in general to uphold the authority of the elderly men as rulers. I believe that they are generally strictly observed, though I caught now & then some of the young men peeping at the women, [crossed out: when themselves] through the slabs when in their huts. These rules are very gradually relaxed, some regarding certains kinds of food are binding till the men reach the middle age. Many of you would be doubtful or curious to know, who this mysterious Bubu might be, I will

add a little anecdote which will illustrate the subject. On one occasion we had two young lads under our instruction who were to attend this ceremony, one of whom was most promising and I was lothe to loose him even for a time. [original text was crossed out] However defensible, this ceremony and its tendency might be in their savage state I knew it proved an obstacle to our influence and instruction. I therefore tried with the one [original text was crossed out] who was the most promising or most spirited [crossed out: to act idependently] to dissaude him from attending the ceremony. The Blacks had much difficulty to gain over him & at length he yielded to go. This roused my indignation & I began to lecture them and expose their imposition [inserted in margin: and their various manouvers to impede any effort we might make for their im-provement, [indecipherable]. Who is therfore Babu? I [crossed out: called I asked said in their own language], why it is only one of you old men that makes that strange noise at night [crossed out: a little off the camp] to call the young men. And that strange looking [crossed out: being] fellow appearing at the Burbong is again one of you elderly men. Thats the way you impose on these boys. This gave great offence & one of the men told me afterwards, very gravely that very wrong of you Mr Gunther to say what you did. Why I said, I only told the truth. "May be truth, he replied, but you ought not have told it before all the women & children."