'^Q LAWS REGAEDING PROrERTY IN LAND. 



the northern islands^ of g'roves of" cocoa-nut trees, 

 3^am gTounds, and other wealth. Among the Kow- 

 rareg-as, there are, according* to Gi'om, three prhi- 

 cipal people, Manu, Piaquai, and Baki, all old men, 

 but among" the Gudang's, a young* man of twenty- 

 five of the name of Tumag*ug*o appeared to have 

 the greatest influence, and next to him Paida, not 

 more than six or eig*ht years older. 



It seems curious to find at Cape York and the 

 Prince of Wales Islands a recognised division and 

 ownership of land, seeing* that none of it by cultiva- 

 tion has been rendered fit for the permanent support 

 of man. According* to Gi'om, there are la^vs regu- 

 lating* the ownership of every inch of ground on 

 Muralug and the neighbouring* possessions of the 

 Kowraregas, and I am led to believe such is likewise 

 the case at Cape York. Among these laws are the 

 following. A person has a, claim upon the ground 

 where both himself and his parents were born, 

 although situated in difierent localities. On the 

 death of parents their land is divided among the 

 children, when both sexes share alike, with this 

 exception, that the youngest of the family receives 

 the largest share. Marriage does not affect the 

 permanency of the right of a woman to any landed 

 property which may have come into her possession. 

 Lastly, an old man occasional^ so disposes of his 

 property that a favourite child may obtain a larger 

 proportion than he could afterwards claim as his 

 inheritance. 



