THROUGH THE BIG SWAMPS 107 



Wallaby bones, and fragments of freshwater mussel 

 shells. One can imagine the scene, when dusky forms 

 crouched around fires on the lake shore, feasting on 

 molluscs, marsupials and birds. They hunted, loved 

 and fought, those tribesmen, who are all dead now. 

 Boga railway station stands where the "Battle of 

 Blood" was lost and won. "All day long the noise of 

 battle rolled," as warriors of the Tyntynder and Boga 

 tribes attacked each other with waddies and spears, 

 and blood flowed freely. 



The lake natives, 7 naturally, were expert fisher- 

 men and clever navigators; they cruised on the lake 

 in bark canoes, hunting water-fowl and spearing and 

 netting fishes. One of many legends regarding the 

 lake is given by Mr. Stone in a paper on the "Abori- 

 gines of Lake Boga."* It is as follows: 



"A long time ago (Nuil mea goon) there was a 

 floating island on the waters of Lake Boga. The 

 native idea was that it was formed of a mass of rushes 

 and reeds, on which the duststorms had deposited a 

 stratum of sand, and in which grass grew. One day 

 a number of young men were upon the island, and 

 the day being a warm one they spent a lot of time 

 swimming. One youth, not being a good swimmer, 

 became exhausted, and in danger of drowning. He 

 was rescued by his friends, and, being then very cold 

 and unconscious, a fire was made to warm him, after 

 which they went back to camp. During the night a 

 breeze sprang up and fanned the embers into a blaze, 

 with the result that the reeds and rushes speedily 

 caught fire, and the island was totally destroyed." 



My guide in swampland was Rob Roy Macgregor, 

 an interesting companion, who rendered good service. 

 We drove from Boga to the Murray River, crossing 

 the Little Murray and Pental Island, a wearisome 

 journey. Rob, however, related stories of the natives, 



^Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 

 Vol. XXIII. (New Series). 



