23 



salt-water species, -which they call dorl-lnrre, in fresh water. 

 One day the long-necked pcmiimell came out of the sea, and 

 said to the then fresh-water clorl-hirrc, "I can find nothing 

 to eat," to which the latter replied to the same eflect. A 

 mutual exchange of territory was therefore agreed upon. 



Fishing. 



Fishing is one of the principal occupations of these coas- 

 tal tribes, consequently a variety of methods are in use. 



Fish are caught by building barriers^ of rock across the 

 entrance to small, shallow bays, which, upon recession of the 

 tide, retain at times large numbers of fish, either high and 

 dry, or in very shallow water. Such structures were noted 

 particularly at Cape Ford and Hyland's Bay, in Berrtngin 

 territory. As a modification of this device, barriers of paper- 

 bark and branches, stayed by vertical rods driven into the 

 sand at short distances apart, are erected across the beds of 

 temporarily-flowing waters, such as the McKinlay and Cul- 

 len Rivers. After the passing of flood-waters many fish are 

 retained by the obstruction. It may be mentioned that these 

 fish, which are often of very considerable size, live, during 

 the dry seasons, in the permanent waterholes that occur at 

 intervals along the river courses. 



Those fish Avhich are left behind in comparatively shal- 

 low holes are captured by a party of natives, who enter the 

 pool at one end and, as they move in a body towards the 

 other end, with much splashing, shouting, and beating with 

 sticks, drive the fish to the shallow water there. Then, with 

 a sudden rush, and before the fish can regain deeper water, 

 many are retained by mud and captured. See pi. viii. 



When the water becomes very turbid by this agitation 

 the barramundi fCeratodiis) has the peculiar habit of rising 

 to the surface and throwing itself upon the mud banks, to 

 fall a prey to the native. This turbidity is very apparent 

 after a mob of wild cattle have visited a comparatively small 

 water, when these fish can be gathered in large numbers, 

 or else they fall victims to numerous birds of prey. 



In the holes left along the seashore they are caught in 

 a slightly different manner. Several natives sit at one end 

 in shallow water, Avith their legs bent at the knee, spread 

 apart, and feet drawn in under their buttocks. Another 

 party walk towards them from the opposite side, driving the 

 fish before them in the manner described. The fish endea- 

 vour to pass or hide underneath the limbs of the sitting 



* Cf. W. E. Roth : Ethnological Studies, p. 95, pi. xi.. fig. 224 : 

 and W. G. Stretton : Trans. Roy. Soc., S.A., vol. xvii.. 1893. p. 

 241. ^ ^ 



