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these stanzas or verses is either a prayer to save them from some 

 disease, as '■'■ Antaha tarta j^otinga / '' i.e., "Headache quiet be- 

 come!" or, ^^ Aralba pa7ianaia / " i.e., "Dry up smallpox!" or 

 a prayer for " fjurunga," or food substance, or some such object. 

 Popular songs they have none, for the simple reason that they 

 are deficient in popular sentiment ; nor heroic songs, because 

 there are no heroes among them. Their perception is, like that 

 of all children of nature, of no mean order. To describe an ob- 

 ject according to its external form, color, and properties is easy 

 for them, and they can mimic speech, actions, and other pecu- 

 liarity. Their tjurunga, corroborees, are mostly animal-tJ2iru7iga 

 (feasts ?) ; thus at an ^mu-tjurunga they imitate exactly an 

 Emu in all its movements. The paintings of their bodies also 

 represent mostly animals, such as snakes, frogs, &c. Although 

 only able to count up to four, they can individualise large herds 

 of cattle or horses, and can tell at once if one is missing, and 

 which, and what its color or appearance may be. In tracking 

 they are great experts, perhaps equalled by fev/ They can tell 

 fairly well how old the track is ; and distinguish that of every 

 man and animal from that of others. Where nothing is apparent 

 to us they follow without hesitation. The imagination is largely 

 developed. Not only by night do they fancy they see and hear 

 all sorts of things and sounds, but even by day — the offspring of 

 fear. Thus they tell of nocturnal spies, which one or the other 

 fancies to have seen or heard. If requested to show the tracks, 

 they say that these walk without touching the ground. They will 

 even name those they fancy to have perceived. It has happened 

 several times in broad daylight that they have come to report that 

 yonder were tnenka — i.e., enemies ! These proved to be either 

 animals or only bushes. They can make fanciful comparisons, as, 

 for example, the names given to several heavenly constellations. 

 The Southern Cross they call '■'' Eritjinka'' — i.e., eagle or hawk's 

 claw. The Milky Way they term ^^Ulbaia''' — i.e., water-course. 

 The sun is for them a woman with a great firestick ; when she 

 puts on much wood the fire blazes up tremendously, and begets 

 the excessive summer heat. In the evening the sun-woman passes 

 under the arm of an old woman, and becomes invisible. Her 

 nourishment consists of grubs feeding in timber. The moon is an 

 unsexed male, and called ^^Atua." As the new moon, or young 

 man, they view it rejoicingly, and call each other's attention to 

 its appearance. He feeds on opossums, which causes him to get 

 so round and full. Then he gets old, becomes attenuated, and 

 disappears in the ground. The stars are distant fires. 



3. Character. 

 The natives are deficient in courage, and commit their revenge 

 — murders only — by stratagem, waiting and spying till they can 



