Natural History on the Lower Murray. 137 



make large gashes in their thighs, breasts, and arms ; the men 

 cut their heads with tomahawks. The graves are huts, covered 

 with the "Manur" nets of the deceased, in which the Currincles 

 have to sleep at night ; and the female relatives of the departed 

 enter the tomb every morning before daybreak, giving expression 

 to the most melancholy lamentations. On the Darling, they pile 

 upon the top of the grave a large heap of Wood, light a little 

 fire in front of it and cry bitterly. On leaving, the widow plants 

 a green bough on the grave. 



At Goolwa, I saw a black fellow smoked and roasted after 

 death on a scaffold, which performance was accompanied with 

 many fantastic ceremonies. 



On the whole I have but to make the most deplorable state- 

 ments concerning our natives. Extermination proceeds so rapidly, 

 that the regions of the Lower Murray are already depopulated, 

 and a quietude -reigns there which saddens the traveller who 

 visited those districts a, few years ago. 



Aet. XVI. — On the Astronomy and Mythology of the Abori- 

 gines of Victoria. By Wm. Edwabd Stanbeidge Esq., of 

 Wombat. 



[Bead before the Institute, 30th September, 1857.] 



I beg to lay before your honorable Institute the accompany- 

 ing paper on the Astronomy and Mythology of the Aborigines, 

 and in doing so I am sensitive of its imperfectness, but as it is 

 now six years since I made any additions to it, and as my 

 occupation does not lead me to that part of the country where I 

 should be able to make further additions, I have presumed to 

 present it to your society, hoping that it may be a means of 

 assisting others to gather further traces of the people that are 

 so fast passing away. 



This statement of the Astronomy and Mythology of the 

 Aborigines is, as nearly as language will allow, word for word as 

 they have repeatedly during some years stated it to me. It is 

 in the language of, and has been gleaned from, the Booroung 

 Tribe, who claim and inhabit the Mallee country in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Lake Tyrill, and who pride themselves upon knowing 

 more of Astronomy than any other tribe. 



The Aborigines in the neighbourhood of Mount Franklin have 



