PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F, 399 



These equivalents are also found amongst the Ngadha wonga 

 and other Murchison tribes, whose class system differs from the 

 Ngaiu wonga. 



Lower Murchison. 



The class system of the Lower Murchison tribes resembles that 

 of the Ashburton area, except in the substitution of the term 

 Boorguloo in place of Banaka — 



Male. Female. Offspring. 



A. Boorong = D. Paljari . . C. Kaimera 



B. Boorguloo = C. Kaimera . . D. Paljari 



C. Kaimera = B. Boorguloo . . A. Boorong 



D. Paljari = A. Boorong . . B. Boorguloo 



The tribes following this system are : Wajari (Cue, Nannine, 

 Yalgoo, Mt. Magnet., Nookawarra, &c.), Ngadha wonga (Meeka- 

 bharra, Peak Hill, &c.), Waian wonga (Thaduna district partly), 

 Ngaiu wonga north (north of Wiluna, Lake Way, &c.), Ngaja 

 wonga or Jargurdi (east of Peak Hill, about), Kurdu wonga (Mt. 

 Gould, north-west of Robinson Ranges, Peak Hill district), Wir- 

 dinya (north-east of Teano district, north of Peak Hill), &c. 



Most of these tribes are contiguous to those of the Upper Mur- 

 chison, whose intermarrying pairs are Boorong-Kaimera and 

 Paljari-Boorguloo. 



Their totem system is similar to that of their Upper Murchison 

 I'.eighbours. Cross-cousin marriages are forbidden. Bilyunu (early 

 betrothals) are customary. 



Ceremonies for the increase of the totem are performed on the 

 maiamba kurdaru burna, and certain totems belong to the father 

 and son moieties (Boorong-Kaimera and Paljari-Boorguloo). 



In the ' ' border ' ' tribes, so to speak, members frequently inter- 

 marry with the tribes whose class systems differ from theirs, and 

 I have occasionally met a Boorong man with both Kaimera and 

 Paljari wives, both "marriages" being coi-rect in the different 

 tribes from which he obtained his women. 



Some Boorong men of the Wajari tribe gave sisters to Ngaiu 

 wonga Kaimera men in exchange for their Kaimera sisters; the 

 Wajari Boorong having, therefore, a Wajari-Paljari wife and a 

 Ngaiu wonga Kaimera wife. In the Wajari district the Ngaiu 

 wonga Kaimera woman entered the Paljari division, and in the 

 Ngaiu wonga district the Wajari-Paljari wife became a Kaimera. 



I am of opinion that such exchanges could not have occurred 

 in. the old days without some punishment following, as, although 

 the Yarnder Ngaiu wonga had " trade highways " from time im- 

 memorial to the Wajari district, the confusion of kinship relations 

 which such unions would bring with them would have prevented 

 the tribes from indulging in the practice. 



