Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/468

 10 Binnar, s.—A meteor, described by the natives as a star of fire; seldom visible, but when seen considered by them as an omen of death. A remarkably large and bright meteor was observed a few years ago traversing a large space in the heavens from east to west. Its progress was accompanied by a loud crackling sound, like the combined discharge of musketry. The unusual number of meteors seen in Europe and America in the months of August and November, have not been observable at Western Australia.

Binnarăngăr.—(K. G. S.) To bury.

Binun, v.—Pres. part., Binwin, or Binunun; past tense, Binăgă To pinch; to squeeze.

Birok, s.—The summer season, December and January. This season follows Kămbarang, and is followed by Burnoru. This is the very height of summer, when iguanas and lizards abound. The aborigines seem to distinguish six particular seasons. They are:

It would be curious, should a more perfect knowledge of their language and ideas give us to understand, that to each of these seasons some definite portion of time was appointed, as sixty or sixty-one days; in which case their year would be made to consist of 360 or 366 days; and it might prove, on further research, that this, and some others of their customs, were fragments splintered off from some ancient fabric of knowledge and civilization, with which they were formerly connected. See Mon-yo.

Birrga, a.—Badly wounded; bruised; sore. Birrga Bogal: a heap, a mass of sores. Their only treatment of a wound is to bind a ligature tightly above the wound where the part is capable of such application.

Birrgyn, s.—A sore, See Badjang. They sometimes shake dust or sand upon a sore to absorb moisture, but they do not wash or clean it.

Birri, s.—The nails. Marh-ra-birri: the nails of the hand.

Birrigon, a.—Bright; glittering; shining; the name given to silver money.

Birrigur, s.—The nails.

Birunbirun.—Merops melanura. Bee-eater. It burrows and makes its nest in the ground.

Birunna, a.—The wind from the north inclining to the west.

Birytch, or Biytch, s.—The cone of the Biara or narrow-leaved Banksia. It burns like touchwood. One is generally carried ignited by the women in summer, as pieces of burning bark are in winter, to make a fire.

Biryt, s.—Daylight. The day as contradistinguished from night. But the natives have no idea of the word day, as used by us for a portion of time. Biryte gudjal; two days; two daylights.

Biwoen, s.—Ocypterus albo-vittatus. The wood-swallow.