Corroboree

We find that the corroboree, which induced so many
hundreds of our fellow-citizens to enjoy a moonlight
walk through our beautiful Park Land, was bespoken
by several persons interested in the natives, and anxious,
to draw attention to the closing discussion to be held on
the subject of the Aborigines, at the Mechanics'
Institute, on Thursday next. We are happy to hear
that upwards of four pounds was collected on Saturday
and Monday. A report was spread among the Victoria
Lake tribe (not lake Alexandrina), hitherto strangers in
Adelaide, that they were to be gathered together for
the purpose of being shot. Happily the faith of the
other tribes in the kind intentions of their patrons
prevailed over the timid ; and for the first time, without
being ordered to do so, but simply in deference to the
white man, every one joining in the corroboree was
partly clothed. The spectators must have numbered
at least a thousand, and among them were several
natives who professed themselves too much civilized to
join in the corroboree. One of the tribes introduced a
brief attempt at English colloquy, in which a nonchalant
aboriginal was supposed to tell a stingy settler, who
denied him a mouthful of bread, that he could get
plenty at the Port. The way in which some of the
blacks instructed the new comers to keep at a proper
distance, with a civil 'so,' and a patronising 'all
right,' seemed to be highly pleasing to the stranger