for their wonderful dancing, which was so wonderful as to be most
likely to absorb the attention of the firemakers.

All the tribes agreed to come, and soon all were engaged in great
preparations. Each determined to outdo the other in the quaintness and
brightness of their painting for the corrobboree. Each tribe as they
arrived gained great applause; never before had the young people seen
so much diversity in colouring and design. Beeleer, the Black Cockatoo
tribe, came with bright splashes of orange-red on their black skins.
The Pelicans came as a contrast, almost pure white, only a touch here
and there of their black skin showing where the white paint had rubbed
off. The Black Divers came in their black skins, but these polished to
shine like satin. Then came the Millears, the beauties of the Kangaroo
Rat family, who had their home on the morillas. After them came the
Buckandeer or Native Cat tribe, painted in dull colours, but in all
sorts of patterns. Mairas or Paddymelons came too in haste to take part
in the great corrobboree. After them, walking slowly, came the
Bralgahs, looking tall and dignified as they held up their red heads,
painted so in contrast to their French-grey bodies, which they deemed
too dull a colour, unbrightened, for such a gay occasion. Amongst the
many tribes there, too numerous to mention, were the rose and grey
painted Galabs, the green and crimson painted Billai; most brilliant
were they with their bodies grass green and their sides bright crimson,
so afterwards gaining them the name of crimson wings. The bright little
Gidgereegahs came too.

Great was the gathering that Bootoolgah, the crane, and Goonur, the
kangaroo rat, found assembled as they hurried on to the scene.
Bootoolgah had warned Goonur that they must only be spectators, and
take no active part in the corrobboree, as they had to guard their