METEOROLOGY AND ASTRONOMY. 99 



may not entitle it to be dignified by the name of astronomical science, it greatly 

 exceeds that of most white people. Of such impoi-tance is a knowledge of the 

 stars to the aborigines in their night journeys, and of their positions denoting the 

 particular seasons of the year, that astronomy is considered one of the principal 

 branches of education. Among the tribes between the rivers Leigh and Glenelg, 

 it is taught by men selected for their intelligence and information. The 

 following list wa.s obtained from Weerat Kuyuut, the sagacious old chief of the 

 Moporr tribe, and from his very intelligent daughter, Yarrum Pai-pur Tameen, 

 and her husband, Wombeet Tuulawarn : — 



The sun is called ' timg,' meaning ' light,' and is of the feminine gender. 



The moon, ' meeheaarong kuurtaruung,' meaning ' hip,' is masculine. 



The new moon, ' taaruuk neung,' is masculine. 



The larger stare are called ' kakii timg,' ' sisters of the sun,' and are feminine. 



The smaller stars, ' narweetch muring,' ' star earth.' 



The milky way, ' barnk,' ' big river.' 



The coal sack of the ancient mariners — that dark space in the milky way 

 near the constellation of the Southern Cross — is called ' torong,' a fabulous 

 animal, said to live in waterholes and lakes, known by the name of bunyip, and 

 so like a horse that the natives on first seeing a horse took it for a brniyip, and 

 would not venture near it. By some tribes the coal sack is supposed to be a 

 waterhole ; and celestial aborigines, represented by the large stars around it, are 

 said to have come from the south end of the milky way, and to have chased the 

 smaller stars into it, where they are now engaged in spearing them. 



The larger Magellanic cloud, ' kuurn kuuronn,' ' male native companion,' or 

 ' gigantic crane.' 



The smaller Magellanic cloud, ' gnserang kuuronn,' ' female native companion.' 



Jupiter, ' Burtit tuung timg,' ' strike the sun '■ — as it is often seen near it at 

 midday — feminin e. 



Venus, ' Wang'uul,' ' twinkle,' feminine ; also ' Paapee neowee,' ' mother of the 

 sun.' 



Canopus, ' Waa,' ' crow ' — masculine. 



Sirius, or the dog star, ' Gneeangar,' ' eagle ' — masculine. 



Antares, ' Butt kuee tuukuung,' ' big stomach ' — masculine. The two stars 

 near Antares, one on each side, are his wives, and the thi-ee stars underneath are 

 called ' kuukuu naiTanuung,' ' nearly a grandfather.' The glow-worm took its 

 light from Butt kuee tuukuung. 



