Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/510

 52 Mendalăng. s.—Acacia, new species, with small, white, oblique ovate-shaped leaves; grows always in very barren places. Pigeons are fond of the seeds.

Mendyk. a.—Ill; in pain: unwell. The natives suffer much from toothache and rheumatism, both of which ailments they endeavour to relieve by topical bleeding, scarifying the skin by a piece of quartz, or by a piece of broken glass bottle. They have recourse now to the white people for physic, and to have teeth drawn and blood taken from the arm.

Menna, s.—The gum of one species of acacia, which is sometimes prepared by being first pounded, then mixed with spittle, and made into a ball, and, finally, beaten into a flat cake, when it is kept by the natives as a provision against a time of want. It is considered good, and is found to be very nourishing.

Merda, s.—Penis. Membrum virile.

Merdelang—(K.G.S.) A species of fish.

Merrak, ad.—Right side up; in a right position. The opposite of Mudjardo.

Merrik, a.—A superstitious power of inflicting death by enchantment.

Met, ad.—Attentively; steadfastly.

Metjarăk, s.—Mesembryanthemum equilatoralis; Hottentot fig. (Toodyay dialect.)

Metjil, a.—Exact; accurate.

Metjo, s.—The seed-vessel of the Gardan, red gum; the seed-cone of the Banksia.

Metjo-nuba, s.—The seed-vessel in the cone of the Banksia.

Metjo-kun-dyle, x.—The inner seed vessel of the Banksia cone. The seed itself.

Meto, a.—Blunt-headed; applied to spears.

Mettagong, s.—A species of fungus, emitting a phosphoric light; the name of an evil spirit, perhaps from the terror inspired by the gleaming of the phosphoric light in dark places.

Miăk, s.—The moon. See Miga. The moon is a male, and the sun a female, in the estimation of the Australian savage.

Miamit, s.—Ptilotis ornata, Gould; yellow-eared honey-sucker.

Middi, s.—Frequently in composition Mid or Mit.—The agent; the medium; the active principle of anything; always used as an affix to other words as Yungar barrang middi, a horse, or the people-carrying agent; Mun-gyt barrang middi, the Mungyt-getting agent, or stick for hooking down the Mungyt, or Banksia cones; Yungar ngannow middi, the people-eating agent, or cannibal. The word thus applied is of frequent and most extensive use in the language.

Miga. s.—The moon. The natives give the following names to the