in particular of the Port Lincoln District. 179 



no one is allowed to intermarry in their own castes^ but only 

 into tlie other one — that is, if the man is a matteri, he can 

 choose as his wife a karraru only, and vice versa. This dis- 

 tinction is kept up by the arrangement that the children 

 belong to the caste of the mother. There are no instances 

 of two karrarus or two matteris having been married toge- 

 ther, and yet connexions of a less virtuous character which 

 take place between members of the same caste do not appear 

 to be considered incestuous. In addition to this general 

 rule, there are certain degress of relationship within which 

 intermarrying is prohibited ; yet from the indefinite degree 

 of their relationship by blood, arising from the plurality of 

 wives, and their being cast off at pleasure, &c., it be- 

 comes very difficult to trace them exactly. Besides this, 

 friendship among the natives leads to the adoption of forms 

 and names strictly in use among relatives only ; thus it be- 

 comes totally impossible to make out what are real relations 

 or apparently so. 



jNIarriages among the Port Lincoln blacks are made up in 

 the most simple manner imaginable. 



The girls, when young, are betrothed by their parents to a 

 friend of theirs, young or old, married or unmarried, as the 

 case may be, and when grown up for marriage are simply 

 ordered to follow their husband, without any further ceremo- 

 nies, and without the least regard for their own individual 

 inclinations. To their good luck, however, it does not very 

 seldom occur that an old, jealous matron strongly opposes 

 herself against such a division of her husband's affections be- 

 tween herself and her young rival, and forces him to renounce 

 all claims upon her in favor of some young fellow, Avhoisbut 

 too willing to take charge of her. Sometimes, also, a young 

 man, urged on by his passions, or under the idea of a well- 

 founded claim, M ill, by force, abduct the Avife of another, and, 

 if he cannot otherwise gain his object, even kill him without 

 the least compunction. 



The marriages of the Goulburn tribe seem nearly to cor- 

 respond with those in Port Lincoln, as may be seen from an 

 extract from jNIr. Blandowski's ''Personal Observations in 

 Victoria" ; — 



" The young man who wishes to marry, has first to look 

 out for a wife amongst the girls or lubras of some neighbour- 

 ing tribe, and having fixed his choice, liis next care is to ob- 

 tain her consent. This being managed, the happy couple 

 straightway elope, and remain together in the bush for two 



N 2 



