16 Loiver Murray Aborigines. 



Mitiam, the moon. 



Toort, a star. 



Kooran Haycmnie, a large water-hole, or lake. 



Their pronouns are identical, whether relative to persons 

 or things, masculine or feminine gender. Thus Wanthy, for 

 instance, means he, she, it, him, that, their ; other pronouns 

 are used in the same manner. 



Their adjectives are used much the same as in English. 

 Thus (talko) good, is frequently used alone, the noun being 

 understood. The other adjectives are applied in the same 

 manner. 



Their verbs are very impertect. For example — 



Callo yetty ivirivy, I went. 



Callo mitha yetty- wirwy, I went a long time ago. 

 Yetty wirwy, I go, or am going. 

 Dotty yetty wirwy, I will go. 

 Berha yetty wirwy, I will go to-morrow. 

 Urgin berha yetty wirwy, I will go the day after to- 

 morrow. 



These examples are only applicable to the Watty Watty 

 tribe ; all the other dialects, however, are just as meagre, and 

 similarly constructed.' 



The dialect spoken by the Lake Boga tribe is not under- 

 stood by the members of the Moornpal one, but there are 

 one or two men in each tribe who speak and can understand 

 all the dialects. These men are termed gualla wattow, sig- 

 nifying postmen. They can travel with impunity from one 

 hostile tribe to another, as their persons are deemed sacred. 

 They carry news with amazing rapidity, and conduct all 

 kinds of negotiations in the way of barter, and as one tribe 

 possesses what another tribe lacks, it gives these postmen 

 plenty of travelling ; from their continual intercourse with 

 other tribes, they are much more enlightened than the gene- 

 rality of the natives, and are therefore deemed by their 

 respective tribes as oracles and authorities, who may not be 

 doubted or disputed with. 



There are no ceremonies connected with their marriages, 

 and polygamy is permitted to any extent. In taking wives, 

 they pay great respect to consanguinity. They carry this 

 so far that they will not even take a cousin to wife. This 

 custom, however, does not hold good in their sexual inter- 

 course, as incest is of very frequent occurrence. Chastity is 

 quite unknown amongst them, and not cared for. This 



