SOME ABORIGINAL TRIBES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 



217 



Some ABORIGINAL TRIBES of WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 



By R. H. Mathews, l.s., Memb. Assoc. Etranger Soc. 

 d'Anthrop. de Paris, 



[Bead before the Royal Society of N. 8. Wales, December 4, 1901.] 



In this short article it is intended to show the rules of marriage 

 and descent, a few of the totems, a brief vocabulary of the language, 

 and some of the customs of certain aboriginal tribes inhabiting an 

 immense extent of country on the sources of the Fitzroy, Margaret, 

 and Ord Rivers, in Western Australia. 



The people of each tribe are classified into eight sections, which 

 intermarry one with the other in conformity with fixed laws, which 

 will be understood in studying the subjoined table and its explan- 

 atory letter-press. The people composing a section do not collect 

 into certain localities by themselves, but are mixed indiscriminately 

 with all the other sections. Some of the principal tribes bearing 

 the eight section names given in the table are the Kisha, Gunyan, 

 Lungar, Nining, Jarrau and Walmaharri. 



Table No. 1. 

 Phatry. 



A. 



B. 



Parents. 

 Father. Mother. 



Changura Nungala 

 Chauan Nauuru 



Offspring. 

 Son. Daughter. 



Chabalyi Nauajerri 

 Chauarding Nabungarti 



Chagara 

 Chambin 



Nauajerri 

 Nabungarti 



Chuaru 

 Chungala 



Nauuru 



Nungala 



Chungala 

 Chuaru 



Nangili 

 Nauana 



Chambin 

 Chagara 



Nambin 

 Nagara 



Chauarding 

 Chabalyi 



Nambin 

 Nagara 



Chauan 

 Changura 



Nauana 

 Nangili 



A Changura man takes a Nungala woman, who is his tabular or 

 regular spouse; but he has the alternative of marrying a Nauuru 



