1904.1 MATHEWS — NATIVE TRIBES OF VICTORIA. 67 



of the Girriwurru tribe there was a man of great stature, named 

 Murkupang, whose body was covered with hair. He dwelt in a 

 cave on the Hopkins river, in the vicinity of Maroona. His nul- 

 lanyuru?ig, or mother-in-law, resided near him, and one day she 

 sent her two grandchildren to see Murkupang and ask him for some 

 food, because according to tribal custom she could not herself 

 approach her son-in-law. As he had not been successful in the 

 chase for a day or two, he killed the children and ate them. 



Fearing the retribution of his mother-in-law's friends, Murku- 

 pang left his habitation at dawn next morning and journeyed down 

 the Hopkins river to a place near Wickliffe, where he tried to 

 make a cave in a rock by pulling loose pieces off with his hands, 

 but he did not succeed. He next went on to Hexham, and saw 

 in the distance Mount Shadwell, with its rocky sides. He approached 

 it and saw a suitable cave in one side near the top. Being a great 

 conjurer or sorcerer, he commenced ''bouncing" or scolding the 

 mountain, and commanded the portion containing the cave to 

 come down nearer to the plain on which he was standing. He 

 stamped his feet and made passes or signs with his hands while he 

 sang a magical song, and presently a large piece of the mountain 

 containing the cave parted from the rest of the hill.^ Murkupang 

 ran away across the plain, and shouted to the fragment of moun- 

 tain to follow him. After a while, when he thought he had reached 

 a good camping place, he turned round, stamping his feet and using 

 other menaces which caused the mountain fragment to stop. It 

 then settled down and became what is now known as Flat-top Hill. 

 Murkupang then selected a place sheltered from the weather by 

 an overhanging rock — a sort of cave — and made his camp there. 

 In a few days' time his mother-in-law tracked him to this retreat. 

 She had with her two young fighting men of the Gurogity phratry, 

 who were clever "doctors" and had some knowledge of magic. 

 While Murkupang was out hunting, these warriors hid themselves 

 near the cave entrance, one on each side. They covered their 

 bodies with stringybark, softened by beating, so that they could 

 roll it around their bodies. This was done to prevent Murkupang's 

 dogs from scenting them. After a time the hunter returned, carry- 

 ing a large kangaroo which he had caught. As soon as he went 



1 The natives point out a depression in one side ot Mount Shadwell from 

 which Flat-top was disrupted. 



