CHAPTER IV. 



PEOPEETY. 



The territoiy belonging to a tribe is divided among its members. Each family 

 has the exclusive right by inheritance to a part of the tribal lands, which is named 

 after its owner ; and his family and every child born on it must be named after 

 something on the property. When the boundaries with neighbours meet at lakes 

 or swamps celebrated for game, well-defined portions of these are marked out 

 and any poaching or trespassing is severely punished. No individual of any 

 neio-hbouring tribe or family can hunt or walk over the property of another 

 without permission from the head of the family owning the land. A stranger 

 found trespassing can legally be put to death. 



When the father of a family dies, his landed property is divided equally 

 amono- his widow and his children of both sexes. Should a child of another 

 family have been born on the estate, it is looked upon as one of the family, and 

 it has an equal right with them to a share of the land, if it has attained the age 

 of six months at the death of the proprietor. This adopted child is called a 

 'woork', and calls the owner of the property by the same name. Should a family 

 die out without leaving ' flesh relatives' of any degree, the chief divides the land 

 amono- the contiguous families after the lapse of one year from the death of the 

 last survivor. During that period the name of the property, being the same as 

 the name of its last owner, is never mentioned, but is called ' Yaamp yaamp' in 

 the Chaap wuurong and the other two languages. If, however, there are 

 several claimants, with equal rights to the teiTitory, the chief at once gives 

 each an equal share, irrespective of sex or age. To those who are under age 

 he appoints guardians to look after their property during their minority. 



