104 KK<;oKl)8 Oh' TICK AUSTKALl.VX MUSEUM. 



aviiilalile. Examples lieie aiui tliere lend confirmation to this 

 probahility. At the mouth of the Batavia River for instance, 

 ou the proniontary of land to the left of it projecting into 

 Albatross Bay, there are, or rather used to he, before the 

 civilisation of the natives was taken in hand by the Mapoon 

 Missionaries, four exogamous divisions named after separate 

 localities. The Nama kurgi and Ba-kurgi were named after and 

 owned lands on the rivei- side, the Lar-nganama and Ba-marango 

 on the Gulf side of the promontory in question. The Bakurgi 

 and Baniarango were so named after islets (ba), tlje Namakurgi 

 after the superabundant local growth of the nama plant (used for 

 thatching huts), while the Lar-nganama yot their name applied 

 on account of a special timlier. Acacia rothii, Bail. — the local lai . 

 These four divisions, whicli 1 was unable to identify with the 

 four otherwise common throughout Northern Queensland, could 

 only marry on the following lines : — 



male + female = child 



nauia-kurgi ba-marango ha-kurgi 



bakurgi lar-nganama nama-kiirgi 



lar-nganama ba-kurgi ba-marango 



ba-maiango nama-kurgi lar-nganama. 



The wife took up her abode at her husband's camp, but the 

 offspring as they grew up became members of and belonged to 

 another camp. 1 found traces of a similar arrangement in vogue 

 at Murray Island in Torres Strait, and am informeil that a 

 .similar one is here and there met with in New (xuinea. 

 In the Bloomfield River District, the four divisions were all 

 names of bees each being specially associated with different 

 districts. Again, amongst the large Koko-warra Tribe of the 

 Princess Charlotte Bay District is to be met the cuiious example 

 of identical animals being tabu to two of the exogamous 

 divisions, the Kurkilla and the Kupuru with the result that the 

 limit of food-supply available is exactly balanced. Another trace 

 of the probable origin of these exogamous divisions lies in the 

 fact, that in any camping place, all tlie members of the same 

 division (except of course those who are consanguineous) occupy 

 the one area of the camp. The grouping of certain animals, 

 plants, etc., on the TuUy River may (Sect. 24) also prove to be 

 another remnant. 



23. According to the particular exogamous division to which 

 an individual Ixdongs, so he bears relationship (o other members 

 of the remaining divisions. For as alredy explained ■■^''' every 

 male is primarily someone'.s brother, father, bi otherin-law, or 



"5 Roth— Ethnol. Studies, etc., 1897— Sect. 63. 



