A particular name, boo-roo-moo-roong, was given to this scene; but of its import I could learn very little.  I made much inquiry; but could never obtain any other answer, than that it was very good; that the boys would now become brave men; that they would see well, and fight well.

No. 6 At a little distance from the preceding scene the whole party halted; the boys were seated by each other, while opposite to them were drawn up in a half circle the other party, now armed with the spear and the shield.  In the centre of this party, with his face toward them, stood Boo-der-ro, the native who had throughout taken the principal part in the business.  He held his shield in one hand, and a club in the other, with which he gave them, as it were, the time for their exercise.  Striking the shield with the club, at every third stroke the whole party poised and presented their spears at him, pointing them inwards, and touching the centre of his shield.

This concluded the ceremonies previous to the operation; and it appeared significant of an exercise which was to form the principal business of their lives, the use of the spear.

No. 7 They now commenced their preparations for striking out the tooth.  The first subject they took out was a boy of about ten years of age:  he was seated on the shoulders of another native who sat on the grass, as appears in this Plate.

The bone was now produced which had been pretended to be taken from the stomach of the native the preceding evening; this, being made very sharp and fine at one end, was used for lancing the gum, and but for some such precaution it would have been impossible to have got out the tooth without breaking the jaw-bone.  A throwing-stick was now to be cut about eight or ten inches from the end; and to effect this, much ceremony was used.  The stick was laid upon a tree, and three attempts to hit it were made before it was struck.  The wood being very hard, and the instrument a bad tomahawk, it took several blows to divide it; but three feints were constantly made before each stroke.  When the gum was properly prepared, the operation began; the smallest end of the stick was applied as high up on the tooth as the gum would admit of, while the operator stood ready with a large stone apparently to drive the tooth down the throat of his patient.  Here their attention to the number three was again manifest; no stroke was actually made until the operator had thrice attempted to hit the throwing-stick.  They were full ten minutes about this first operation, the tooth being, unfortunately for the boy, fixed very firm in the gum.  It was at last forced out, and the sufferer was taken away to a little distance, where the gum was closed by his friends, who now equipped him in the style he was to appear in for some days.  A girdle was tied round his waist, in which was stuck a wooden sword; a ligature was put round his head, in which were stuck slips of the grass-gum tree, which, being white, had a curious and not unpleasing effect.  The left hand was to be placed over the mouth, which was to be kept shut; he was on no account to speak; and for that day he was not to eat.