ABORIGINAL FISHERIES AT BREWARRINA. 151 
larger fish were speared, or killed by a club, but the smaller 
ones were caught by hand, the fisherman passing his finger 
through the gills and inserting a cord, on which he carried 
as many fish as could be dealt with in this manner. My 
old native informants told me that none were left in the 
yards, because if they got away they would warn all their 
fellow-fish not to go into such a trap in the future. One 
old man stated the same rule was followed in netting emus 
when he was a boy. Great care was taken to prevent the 
escape of an emu from the net, lest he should tell other 
birds about the ingenuity of their enemies. 
Hach division of the tribe, and the families composing 
it, had their own allotted portion of the fishing grounds, 
and every pen or trap had a name by which it was known 
and spoken of among the people. The following are a few 
of these aboriginal names:—Mirra‘gan, Gi’na, Thau’ia, 
Il'prunya, Buddhauinga, Giwirri, Ngiddéri, Gumboar’o, 
Muarba, Thulir’digana, Biragiman, Btrugtngal’, Dhau’- 
danbaia, Mogél, Goara, Wirridung-kunya, Wagurma, 
Bau/andanna. In the lowest portion of the river bed, 
where the water has the most fall, and consequently runs 
the swiftest over the rapids, is called by the natives 
*‘Wirruwirrumba.”’ Large rock masses, projecting high 
above the water, occupying their natural, undisturbed 
position in the channel, also had native names by which 
they were easily distinguished. The most remarkable of 
these large blocks of Desert Sandstone, which are chiefly 
near the southern bank of the river, are represented in 
their correct positions on the accompanping plan and 
their names given in the descriptive letter-press. 
To enable the fishing operations to be proceeded with, it 
was necessary that the walls of the pens should be a little 
way out of the water, because when the flood rose above 
the tops of the traps, the fish could easily swim over them. 
