350 R. H. MATHEWS. 



assuming that lie was one of themselves who had come to 

 life again. A similar belief was discovered at Port Lincoln, 

 South Australia, in 1816, by Mr. Schiirmann, who says, 

 "they certainly believe in the pre-existence of the souls of 

 black men." 1 



It is stated in Rev. G. Taplin's work, that among the 

 Nimbaldi tribe, about Mount Freeling in South Australia, 

 a spirit called Muree, which may be either a male or a 

 female, meets a black woman, and throws a small waddy, 

 iveetcliu, under her thumb nail, or under the great toe nail, 

 and so enters the woman's body. In due time she gives 

 birth to a child. 2 



Rev. Duncan Mackillop reports that on the Daly River, 

 Northern Territory, the souls of children are supposed to 

 to be shut up in certain hills, scattered over the country, 

 and are given out when an infant is to be born. 3 Super- 

 stitions substantially the same in character as those above 

 referred to, in various forms to suit surrounding circum- 

 stances, have been observed in every part of Australia 

 where investigations have been made. 



Dyillagamberra, the Rainmaker. — The natives of the 

 south-east coast of New South Wales have a legend that 

 a mystic personage named Dyillagamberra once lived 

 among them. When he went away from them he travelled 

 up the valley of the Tuross River, and at short intervals 

 dug holes or springs, some on the sides of the hills and 

 others on the tops. This was to secure a supply of water 

 for his people, and the waterholes still remain. He made 

 these lagoons and springs all the way till he got to a 

 mountain the natives call Barrity'-burra at the head of the 

 Tuross River. 



1 " Native Tribes of South Australia," p. 235. 



2 " Folklore, Manners, etc., South. Australian Aborigines," (Adelaide, 

 1879), p. 88. 



3 Trans. Roj. Soc. South Australia, Vol. xvn., (1893) p. 262. 



