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Legend of the Origin of Fire and of the Apotheosis of Two 

 Heroes, ly the Aborigines of Tasmania, as related hi/ a Native 

 of the Oyster Bay Tribe. 



My father, my grandfather, all of them lived a long time 

 ago, all over the country ; they had no fire. Two hlack- 

 fellows came, they slept at the foot of a hill, — a hill in my 

 own country. On the summit of a hill they were seen by 

 my fathers, my countrymen, on the top of the hill they 

 were seen standing : they threw fire like a star, — it fell 

 amongst the blackmen my countrymen. They were 

 frightened, — ^they fled away, all of them ; after a while 

 they returned, they hastened and made a fire, — a fire with 

 wood ; no more was fire lost in our land. The two black- 

 fellows are in the clouds ; in the clear night you see them 

 like two stars .^" These are they who brought fire to my 

 fathers. 



The two blackmen staid awhile in the land of my fathers. 

 Two women (LowannaJ were bathing ; it was near a rocky 

 shore, where mussels were plentiful. The women were 

 sulky, they were sad ; their husbands were faithless, they 

 had gone with two girls. The women were lonely ; they 

 were swimming in the water, they were diving for crayfish. 

 A sting-ray lay concealed in the hollow of a rock, — a large 

 sting-ray ! The sting-ray was large, he had a very long 

 spear ; from his hole he spied the women, he saw them 

 dive : he pierced them with his spear, — he killed them, he 

 carried them away. Awhile they were gone out of sight. 

 The sting-ray returned, he came close in shore, he lay in 

 still water, near the sandy beach ; with him were the 

 women, they were fast on his spear, — they were dead ! 



The two blackmen fought the sting-ray; they slew 

 him with their spears ; they killed him ; — the women were 

 dead ! The two blackmen made a fire, — a fire of wood. 

 On either side they laid a woman, — ^the fire was between : 

 the women were dead ! 



The blackmen sought some ants, some large blue ants 

 [imgganyeptietta) ; they placed them on the bosoms (parugga- 

 poingtaj of the women. Severely, intensely were they 

 bitten. The women revived, — they lived once more. 



Soon there came a fog (maynentayana) , a fog dark as 

 night. The two blackmen went away, the women dis- 

 appeared : they passed through the fog, the thick dark fog ! 

 Their place is in the clouds. Two stars you see in the clear 

 cold night ; the two blackmen are there, — the women are 

 with them : they are stars above ! 



* Castor and Pollux. 



