NATIVE TRIBES OF PORT DARWIN. 
641 
thought it desirable for me then to know, proceeded thus, placing 
stones where the asterisks are, to illustrate the genealogy of one 
* 
* 
* /Him lubra have em girl 
\ ( bun-ngilla ) 
^By-and-by girl big fellow, 
I him husband (naow'a) 
* I catch him, him |)reg- 
I nant [mdoa). have em 
girl ( bun-ngilla ) 
By-and-by nimm big fellow, by-and-by bun-ngilla big fellow, him 
catch him. These would be half first cousins, a relationship, L believe, 
within the blood-tie in which marriage is unknown ; but it is not to 
be understood that the relationship was so close, the black indicating 
the line of descent and not the number of degrees. These details were 
given, not extracted; a Larraki £ a was explaining the matter, and an 
Awarra who was present verified his remarks. In three instances the 
cases were certainly specific, although they may point merely to 
ante-natal agreements entered into by the parents ; the others may 
have been and probably were generic, indicating that the persons 
referred to were within the group from which the speaker was entitled 
to a wife. 
It was but a few weeks before my departure from Port Darwin 
that this subject was introduced, and I was unable to follow up the 
genealogy. It would be well for anyone in a position to do so to pre- 
pare tables on which the native name, sex, apparent age, circle in camp, 
tribe, and, as it was learnt, the relationship to other blacks would 
appear ; with such charts intermarriages between the Larrakra and 
"W ulnar would soon he clear, and, to one apparently in possession of 
the facts, instead of the reserve manifested, interest in making other 
points intelligible would be exhibited. It would indeed appear 
possible only bv piecing together details such as those given to arrive 
at any definite results. After thirty years of occupation and much 
patient study, the foregoing pages contain almost the sum of our 
knowledge concerning the laws governing marriage, and, bare as are 
the facts, there is a distinct advance on previous information. All 
who have made the attempt will admit the difficulty of obtaining from 
the Larraki‘a or Wfilnar any information upon tribal matters. 
Confidence is freely given to those whom lie esteems, and much kindly 
interest is taken in imparting his lore, but liis confidence is not to be 
forced, and questioning must be only conversational. Affection 
prompts the boy to make his master (whom he regards as an elder 
brother) “ close up blackfellow,” and he instructs him as he is 
sympathetic to his teaching, not in gratification of curiosity* 
Children live with their parents until puberty, when girls become 
members of their husbands* household, residing sometimes with him, 
and at other times at the parental camp Their virginity is respected 
until the breasts are fully developed ; they become mothers at from 
sixteen (perhaps sometimes fifteen, but rarely, if at all) to eighteen. 
Before coverture a corrobborle is held, and the ceremony of marriage 
by capture is observed ; I think, but cannot definitely say, that this 
custom is invariable. 
That one him married man\ 
( mollinnyu ) J 
Him have two-fellow lubra 
That fellow lubra him have) 
em boy [nimm) J 
By-and-by him catch him) 
lubra, him have em boy - 
[nimm) J 
