Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/461

 3 Bal, ''imp. v.''—Leave it; let it alone. There is no appreciable difference in sound between this and the foregoing word, the pronoun.

Balbiri, s.—A skewer; a stick with which the cloak is pinned when worn, or the back hair fastened up.

Balbyt, a.—Silly; foolish.

Balga, s.—Xanthorea arborea, grass-tree or blackboy. This is a useful tree to the natives where it abounds. The frame of their huts is constructed from the tall flowering stems, and the leaves serve for thatch and for a bed. The resinous trunk forms a cheerful blazing fire. The flower-stem yields a gum used for food. The trunk gives a resin used for cement, and also, when beginning to decay, furnishes large quantities of marrow-like grubs, which are considered a delicacy. Fire is readily kindled by friction of the dry flower-stems, and the withered leaves furnish a torch. It may be added that cattle are fond of the leaves; sheep pull up the centre leaves when they can reach them, and eat the blanched end of the leaf; and even many settlers have dressed the crown of it as food, which tastes like an artichoke; and used the young stem, when boiled and carefully scraped, which is said to have a taste like sea-kale: but this last-mentioned part should be used with caution, as some are said to have suffered from it.

Balgang, v.—Pres. part., Balganwin; past tense, Balgangăga; to track; to pursue on a track.

Balgor, s.—Young fresh grown trees. In the north dialect, this word is used for Dilbi, leaves of trees in general.

Balgun, p.p.—They.

Balgup, p.p.—Them.

Balingur, v.—(K.G.S.) To climb.

Baljarra, a.—Exposed; naked; uncovered. As Baljarra ngwundow, to sleep exposed, without a hut in the open air.

Ballăgar, s.—(A north word); the small squirrel-like opossum, called at Perth, Ballawara, and at K. G. S. Ballard.

Ballajan, v.—Pres. part., Ballajanin; past tense, Ballajanan. Sometimes it is pronounced short; to assault; to attack; to slay.

Ballak, s.—A species of Xanthorea.

Ballal (Vasse)—He himself; she herself.

Ballar, a.—Secretly.

Ballard, s.—(K.G.S.) A small species of opossum.

Ballarijow, v.—Compounded of Ballar, secretly; and Ijow, to put, place. Pres. part., Ballarijowin; Past tense, Ballarijaga. To secrete; to hide.

Ballărok, proper name. The cognomen of one of the great families into which the aborigines of Western Australia appear to be divided. The general laws relating to marriage have reference to these families. No man can marry a woman of his own family name; and the children all take that of the mother. As the hunting ground or landed property descends in the male line, it follows that