On these pines they spread strips of bark, then a thick bed of Dheal twigs; then a woman handed a bag containing the belongings of the dead woman--boogurr they were called--to the oldest male relative, who was standing in the grave; he placed it as a pillow at one end.

Then Hippi and the daughter's husband took each an end of the coffin and lowered it into the grave; the daughter cried loudly as they did so.

Over the coffin they laid a rug, and on the rug they placed Beemunny's yam stick.

Hippi signalled to the daughter, who then came with the other women close to the edge of the grave.

She sat at one end, looked over into the grave, and called out: 'My mother! Oh, my mother! Come back to me, my mother! My mother that I have been with always, why did you leave me ?' Then she wailed the death-wait, which the other women caught up.