Page:Dawson - Australian aborigines (1900).djvu/115

 may not entitle it to be dignified by the name of astronomical science, it greatly exceeds that of most white people. Of such importance is a knowledge of the stars to the aborigines in their night journeys, and of their positions denoting the particular seasons of the year, that astronomy is considered one of the principal branches of education. Among the tribes between the rivers Leigh and Glenelg, it is taught by men selected for their intelligence and information. The following list was obtained from Weerat Kuyuut, the sagacious old chief of the Moporr tribe, and from his very intelligent daughter, Yarrum Parpur Tarneen, and her husband, Wombeet Tuulawarn: —

The sun is called 'tirng,' meaning 'light,' and is of the feminine gender. The moon, 'meeheaarong kuurtaruung,' meaning 'hip,' is masculine. The new moon, 'taaruuk neung,' is masculine. The larger stars are called 'kakii tirng,' 'sisters of the sun,' and are feminine. The smaller stars, 'narweetch mæring,' 'star earth.'

The milky way, 'barnk,' 'big river.' The coal sack of the ancient mariners — that dark space in the milky way near the constellation of the Southern Cross — is called 'torong,' a fabulous animal, said to live in waterholes and lakes, known by the name of bunyip, and so like a horse that the natives on first seeing a horse took it for a bunyip, and would not venture near it. By some tribes the coal sack is supposed to be a waterhole; and celestial aborigines, represented by the large stars around it, are said to have come from the south end of the milky way, and to have chased the smaller stars into it, where they are now engaged in spearing them. The larger Magellanic cloud, 'kuurn kuuronn,' 'male native companion,' or 'gigantic crane.' The smaller Magellanic cloud, 'gnærang kuuronn,' 'female native companion.' Jupiter, 'Burtit tuung tirng,' 'strike the sun' — as it is often seen near it at midday — feminine. Venus, 'Wang'uul,' 'twinkle,' feminine; also 'Paapee neowee,' 'mother of the sun.' Canopus, 'Waa,' 'crow' — masculine. Sirius, or the dog star, 'Gneeangar,' 'eagle' — masculine. Antares, 'Butt kuee tuukuung,' 'big stomach' — masculine. The two stars near Antares, one on each side, are his wives, and the three stars underneath are called 'kuukuu narranuung,' 'nearly a grandfather.' The glow-worm took its light from Butt kuee tuukuung.