ABORIGINAL SMOKE SIGNALS. 503 



forward one of their youths (called Go-wurree) carryintj with him 

 a small bundle of bark and sticks tied together (called Goolwah), 

 which he presents to the messenger of the attacking party. 



Bat-row Creek Tribe. — This signal means " Come here, we want 

 to speak to you." It is made for the pm-pose of gaining informa- 

 tion of the main camp of blacks. The signal is made of porcupine 

 grass (spinifex) and myall bush, piled in round heaps, but small in 

 size. 



Macdonnell Ranyes Tribe. — The smoke is named " Quoorta " 

 (smoke), and means " Coming back," as in an unsuccessful search 

 for water, when those out searching desire to prevent others from 

 going so far out into dry country. Mateiial used for producing 

 the signal, green spinifex. 



Teniianfs Creek Tribe. — Native name of the smoke is " Nappa- 

 miui-kedi," means "Little water here, don't come! Go back." 

 The signal is made in one spot, and is kept up for hours. 



(Z))— LARGE DENSE COLUMN OF DARK (BLACK) SMOKE, 



Produced by firing a large quantity of fuel, with green bushes, 

 or spinifex, or damp material, so as to raise a body of dark smoke. 

 Pre-eminently the long-distance signal of Australia, rising to a 

 height of l,5()Uft. to 2,000ft., according to some witnesses; and to 

 3,500ft. to 5,000ft., according to others. When dense spinifex is 

 fired under sultry, still wcrtther conditions — as it is by preference 

 — the latter height is easily possible. Mr. Charles Winnecke 

 states that boughs of growing acacia bush are broken off and 

 thrown upon rank-grown spinifex, as found growing in a dip 

 between sandhills, when a dark, high, towering column is wanted. 

 *Netoou, a Moorundie (Mm-ray River) native, states that the 

 natives there would signal New South Wales border blacks on 

 the river by means of three intermediate smokes, averaging some 

 sixty-five miles range apart. With a wind moving gently, a strip 

 of spinifex, some half-mile wide and one mile long, would be fired 

 at its windward end. The smoke would continually rise higher 

 into the air as the flame swept on down through the growth, till 

 at length the signal would very far exceed in height the ranges 

 near Adelaide. He adds that such a signal invariably, under the 

 meteorological conditions named, so interfered with the atmo- 

 spheric equilibrium as to be followed by cloud, wind, thunder, 

 lightning, and rain. Investigation in this direction might yield 

 very interesting and valuable results. 



PoivelV s Creek Tribe. — Native name "Gubberil," means "Native 

 sit down, look after kangaroo and emu" — a native is at that point 

 watching game. 



Barrow Creek Tribe.— The signal indicates a message telling 

 comrades that a large number of natives is coming up ; that they 



* Cliarles Netoon, Mooiundie aborigine, Murray Kiver. 



