NOTES ON THE NAMES GIVEN TO MINERALS 

 AND ROCKS BY THE ABORIGINES OE TAS- 

 MANIA. 



By Fritz Noetling, Ph.D., Etc. 



(Read 9th August, 1909.) 



The 'enquiry into the name given by the Aborigines 

 to their stone implements led naturally to a further en- 

 quiry into the names of rocks and minerals distinguished 

 by that race. The result is interesting enough ; in 

 several instances the literal meaning of the words used 

 would be ascertained, and the meaning of other words 

 which v\^ere rather a puzzle could be made out with a 

 tolerable amount of certainty. 



Though primarily meant to be a collection of the 

 names of minerals and rocks, it was unavoidable to dis- 

 cuss other subjects which apparently had no direct con- 

 nection with minerals. Yet these studies throw such a 

 curious light on the mental condition of the Aborigines, 

 •that, instead of being a mere collection of names, this 

 paper rather deals with a number of questions connected 

 with the life of this primitive race. 



I need hardly to say that I am not a trained philolo- 

 gist, and some of my deductions may be wrong. If so, 

 I shall he only too pleased if anyone who has got a 

 'better knowledge than I will correct me. The matter is 

 of great importance. The more we learn, even about 

 the mental capacity of the Tasmanian Aborigines, the 

 greater vi^ill be the assistance rendered to the study of 

 the archaeolithic race of Europe. 



It will perhaps be best to review the native words 

 for minerals and rocks, irrespective of their nature, in 

 alphabetical order, in order to establish some facts to 

 go on with (i). 



(i) It will also be noticed that a few substances such as 

 charcoal or red ochre, the first of which is certainly not, and the 

 second of which can hardly be called a natural produce, are 

 included in this list. However, both being closely connected 

 with some of the minerals, I thought it better not to omit them 

 from the list. 



