12 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



generally arranges the matter quietly with one of his group- or 

 blood-brothers, gets him to take her, and holding her by the wrist, 

 hands her over. In those portions of the North- West where the 

 Camp-council ratifies the marriage of two adults, and elsewhere 

 where the ceremony is based on mutual attachment, the two 

 contracting parties may mutually agree to sever marital relations. 



22. Polygamy, and within certain limits, polyandry, are 

 practised and recognised throughout the North, the limits 

 depending upon the suitable exogamous groups, acquiescence or 

 absence of the original husband, etc. As a general rule, the 

 older the man, other things equal, the larger is his number of 

 wives, the favourite usually being the youngest in so far as the 

 husband most often takes her with him on any hunting expedi- 

 tion, etc., such favouritism, however, having its disabilities in 

 that while in camp she suffers most at the hands of her fellow - 

 wives, all of whom usually live together. On the Bloomfield 

 River, it would seem that the wife obtained by betrothal is 

 thought far more of than the ones acquired by capture or 

 inheritance. So also in the Boulia District the unofficial wife is 

 always in greater favour than the official one chosen by the 

 Camp-council ; indeed the term signiticatory of the former, 

 pandira, lias almost come to mean a settler's mistress in 

 contradistinction to his lawfully wedded wife. Once married, 

 the husband has marital rights over his wife's blood-sisters, and 

 indeed, as on the Pennefather River, where there is a plurality of 

 wives, these are often blood-sisters. There would seem to be 

 differences as to when these rights can be claimed ; on the 

 Pennefather River, for instance, the husband has to ask his 

 step-parents for them as each arrives at marriageable age, 

 whereas on the Tully River he may satisfy his desires by force 

 if necessary, irrespective of any age, unless the girl is already 

 married, when he can do so by getting her husband's permission 

 For, according to his mood, a husband here may or may not 

 object to his wife having intercourse with any of his group- or 

 blood-brothers, she being certainly punished were she to suffer 

 the embraces of a member of any other exogamous group ; on 

 the other hand, during her husband's absence she can without 

 fear of any consequences, regularly sleep with any of his blood- 

 brothers. 



23. The birth of twins, full blood, judging by the case> that come 

 under notice, does not appear to be of such common occurrence as 

 that of half-caste ones. Several are known on the Lower Tully 

 River, but only one example on the Bloomtirld. ' a The difficulty 



1K On the authority of Mr, K. Hislop, who was for the greater part of his 

 life resident there. 



