First came from each tribe the boys to be initiated and the Munthdeeguns, or men in charge of them.

The men were painted, and had leafy twigs tied round their wrists and ankles, as had the boys also, and all carried in their hands small branches of green.
Those especially in charge of boys held, too, a painted spear with a waywah on top of it.
As they approached the place of gathering the head man, with the painted spear, began calling out all the names of the places along the creeks from whence he came; at the name of each big watercourse they all cried together 'Wah! Wah! wah!' They were met at some distance from the camp by the men who had summoned them, and who had made a round brush yard where they were to meet them.

Here the older women were singing Boorah songs.

Some held their breasts as a sign they had sons among the initiates; others put their hands on their shoulders, which showed they had brothers going to be made young men.

All the women had leafy twigs tied round their wrists and ankles as the men had.