Austral English Part 57

"With several corrobery or harlequin steps."

1833. C. Sturt, `Southern Australia,' vol. ii. c. iii. p. 55:

"They hold their corrobbores (midnight ceremonies)."

1836. C. Darwin, `Journal of the Voyage of the Beagle' (ed. 1882), c. xix. p. 450:

"A large tribe of natives, called the white c.o.c.katoo men, happened to pay a visit to the settlement while we were there.

These men as well as those of the tribe belonging to King George's Sound, being tempted by the offer of some tubs of rice and sugar were persuaded to hold a `corrobery' or great dancing party." [Description follows.]

1838. T. L. Mitch.e.l.l, `Three Expeditions,' vol. ii. p. 4:

"There can be little doubt that the corrobboree is the medium through which the delights of poetry and the drama are enjoyed in a limited degree, even by these primitive savages of New Holland."

1844. Mrs. Meredith. `Notes and Sketches of New South Wales,'

p. 91:

"Great preparations were made, as for a grand corrobory, or festival, the men divesting themselves of even the portions of clothing commonly worn, and painting their naked black bodies in a hideous manner with pipe-clay. After dark, they lit their fires, which are small, but kept blazing with constant additions of dry bark and leaves, and the sable gentry a.s.sembled by degrees as they completed their evening toilette, full dress being painted nudity. A few began dancing in different parties, preparatory to the grand display, and the women, squatting on the ground, commenced their strange monotonous chant, each beating accurate time with two boomerangs. Then began the grand corrobory, and all the men joined in the dance, leaping, jumping, bounding about in the most violent manner, but always in strict unison with each other, and keeping time with the chorus, accompanying their wild gesticulations with frightful yells, and noises. The whole `tableau' is fearfully grand! The dark wild forest scenery around--the bright fire-light gleaming upon the savage and uncouth figures of the men, their natural dark hue being made absolutely horrible by the paintings bestowed on them, consisting of lines and other marks done in white and red pipe-clay, which gives them an indescribably ghastly and fiendish aspect--their strange att.i.tudes, and violent contortions and movements, and the unearthly sound of their yells, mingled with the wild and monotonous wail-like chant of the women, make altogether a very near approach to the horribly sublime in the estimation of most Europeans who have witnessed an a.s.sembly of the kind."

1846. G. H. Haydon, `Five Years in Australia Felix,' p. 103:

"They have no instrument of music, the corobery's song being accompanied by the beating of two sticks together, and by the women thumping their opossum rugs.'"

1847. J. D. Lang, `Cooksland,' p. 447 [Footnote]:

"These words, which were quite as unintelligible to the natives as the corresponding words in the vernacular language of the white men would have been, were learned by the natives, and are now commonly used by them in conversing with Europeans, as English words. Thus corrobbory, the Sydney word for a general a.s.sembly of natives, is now commonly used in that sense at Moreton Bay; but the original word there is yanerwille. Cabon, great; narang, little; boodgeree, good; myall, wild native, etc. etc., are all words of this description, supposed by the natives [of Queensland] to be English words, and by the Europeans to be aboriginal words of the language of that district."

[The phrase "general a.s.sembly" would rise naturally in the mind of Dr. Lang as a Presbyterian minister; but there is no evidence of anything parliamentary about a corrobbery.]

1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 78:

"The exact object or meaning of their famous corrobboree or native dance, beyond mere exercise and patience, has not as yet been properly ascertained; but it seems to be mutually understood and very extensively practised throughout Australia, and is generally a sign of mutual fellowship and good feeling on the part of the various tribes."

1849. J. P. Townsend, `Rambles in New South Wales,' p. 100:

"When our blacks visited Sydney, and saw the military paraded, and heard the bands, they said that was `white fellows'

corrobbory.'"

185. E. Stone Parker, `Aborigines of Australia,' p. 21:

"It is a very great mistake to suppose ... that there is any kind of religious ceremony connected with the ordinary corrobory... . I may also remark that the term corrobory is not a native word."

[It is quite certain that it is native, though not known to Mr. E. Stone Parker.]

1862. G. T. Lloyd, `Thirty-three Years in Tasmania and Victoria,' p. 49:

[In Tasmania] "the a.s.sembling of the tribes was always celebrated by a grand corroboree, a species of b.e.s.t.i.a.l bal masque. On such occasions they presented a most grotesque and demon-like appearance, their heads, faces, and bodies, liberally greased were besmeared alternately with clay and red ochre; large tufts of bushy twigs were entwined around their ankles, wrists, and waists; and these completed their toilet."

1879. J. D. Woods, `Native Tribes of South Australia,'

Introduction, pp. x.x.xii. and x.x.xiii.:

"The princ.i.p.al dance is common all over the continent, and `corrobboree' is the name by which it is commonly known. It is not quite clear what a corrobboree is intended to signify.

Some think it a war-dance--others that it is a representation of their hunting expeditions--others again, that it is a religious, or pagan, observance; but on this even the blacks themselves give no information."

1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 41:

"The good fortune to witness a korroboree, that is a festive dance by the natives in the neighbourhood."

1892. J. Fraser, `The Aborigines of New South Wales,' p. 21:

"`Karabari' is an aboriginal name for those dances which our natives often have in the forests at night. Hitherto the name has been written corrobboree, but etymologically it should be karabari, for it comes from the same root as `karaji,' a wizard or medicine-man, and `bari' is a common formative in the native languages. The karabari has been usually regarded as a form of amus.e.m.e.nt ... these dances partake of a semi-religious character."

[Mr. Fraser's etymology is regarded as far-fetched.]

(2) The song that accompanied the dance.

1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 323:

"I feared he might imagine we were afraid of his incantations, for he sang most lamentable corroborris."

1881. A. C. Grant, `Bush Life in Queensland,' vol. i. p. 68:

"... listen to the new corroborree. Great numbers arrive; the corroborree is danced night after night with the utmost enthusiasm... .These corroborrees travel for many hundreds of miles from the place where they originated... .These composers [of song and dance] pretend that the Spirit of Evil originally manufactured their corroborree."

1889. Rev. J. H. Zillman, `Australian Life,' p. 132:

"The story was a grand joke among the blacks for many a day.

It became, no doubt, the theme for a `corroberee,' and Tommy was always after a hero amongst his countrymen."

(3) By transference, any large social gathering or public meeting.

1892. `Sat.u.r.day Review,' Feb.' 13, p. 168, col. 2:

"A corrobory of gigantic dimensions is being prepared for [General Booth's] reception [in Australia]." (`O.E.D.')

1895. Modern:

"There's a big corrobbery on to-night at Government House, and you can't get a cab for love or money."

(4) By natural transference, a noise, disturbance, fuss or trouble.

1874. Garnet Walch, `Adamanta,' Act II. sc. ii. p. 27:

"How can I calm this infantile corroboree?"

1885. H. O. Forbes, `Naturalist's Wanderings,' p. 295:

"Kingfishers ... in large chattering corrobories in the tops of high trees."