4 THE KOWRAREGAS. 



of the tAvo races. Still tlie natives of the Prince 

 of Wales' Islands rank themselves with the 

 islanders and exhibit a deg'ree of conscious supe- 

 riority over their neighbours on the main land and 

 Avith some show of reason* althoug'h themselves 

 inferior to all the other islanders^ they have at least 

 made with them the g'reat advance in civilization of 

 having" learned to cultivate the g'round^ a process 

 which is practised by none of the Australian abo- 

 rio'ines. 



The Kowrareg'as speak of New Guinea under the 

 name of Mug-g-i' (little) Dowdai^ while to New Hol- 

 land they apply the term of Kei' (larg'e) Dowdai. 

 Their knowledg-e of the former island has been 

 acquired indirectly throug-h the medium of inter- 

 vening- tribes. The New Guinea people are said to 

 live chiefl}^ on pig's and sag-o ; from them are obtained 

 the cassowary feathers used in their dances^ and 

 stone-headed clubs. They trade with the Gumu- 

 leg'aS; who exchang-e commodities with the Badu- 

 leg*as^ from whom the Kowrareg-a people receive 

 them. These last barter away to their northern 

 neig-hbours spears^ throvving'-sticks^ and mother-of- 

 pearl shells for bows^ arroAvs^ bamboo pipes^ and 

 knives, and small shell ornaments called dibi-dibi. 

 They have friendly relations aa ith the other islanders 

 of Torres Strait, but are at enmity with all the 

 mainland tribes except the Gudang-. 



Occasionall}^ hostilities, frequently caused by the 

 most trivial circumstances, arise between tAVO neigh- 



