NORTH (iUKENSr-AND KTHNOGRAPHY — ROTH. 81 



thin<; and everytliin<; out of tlie ordinary has a special name 

 applied to it. At Koxhuigli Downs I have seen a fairly sized 

 water-hole, the different edges, etc., of which were described 

 under at least seven different names. Upon the occasion of my 

 once asking a native why every little nook and cranny in the 

 neighbourhood of his camp had a special name, he turned the 

 tables on me by enquiring why all the streets of a township were 

 differently termed : — "Street along town all same bush along my 

 country!" in the far western districts, and other areas com- 

 paratively subject to drought, tlie importance of water both in 

 the neighbourhood of camp and along the different lines of travel 

 will explain in some measure how it happens that, except in the 

 case of some otherwise strongly-marked physical peculiarity, e.g., 

 a mountain, most of the geographical location is indicated by 

 words denoting creeks, rivers, water-holes, lakes or springs. 

 And it thus comes to pass that many a name of a head station, 

 township, etc., of the white settlers which has been built on a 

 site selected for exactly similar reasons, has its aboriginal 

 equivalent in the name of its adjacent water-hole, etc*. 



2. Any group of natives living more or less permanently to- 

 gether may be specialised according to the tract of country 

 where they have first claim on the native foods ; in other words, 

 they may be, and are, spoken of according to the place-name of 

 their main encampment, their " home " so to speak. Thus we 

 have — 



At Cooktown, the Kai-ar-ara, i.e., natives occupying the 

 countrj' round Kai-ar (Mt. Cook). 



On the Bloomfield River, Yalmba-ara, i.e., natives occupying 

 the country round Yalmba (between Wyalla Station and 

 sea-coast). 



At Bowen Bay, Arwwr-angkana, i.e., natives occupying the 

 country round Arwur (Bowen Bay). 



At Cape Melville, Yalnga-bara, Yalnga (C. Melville). 



On the Norman by River, Karwin-inna, i.e., natives occupying 

 the countiy round Karwin (Lower Normanby). 



At Duyphen Point, Taini-kudi, Taini (mangroves). 



On the Batavia River, Denya-kudi, Denya (bush-country). 



In Broadsound District, Riste-burra, i.e., natives occupying 

 the country round Riste, (country around Raspberry 

 Creek). 



This " home," after which the group of natives occupying it 

 happens to be called may or may not be the birth-place of the 



* Roth— Ethnol. Studies, etc., 1897— Sect. 226. 

 6 



