Page:Diary of ten years.djvu/512

 54 Minjining, s.—The eggs of lice. See Kolo.

Minning, c.—If; if I might.

Minob, v.—Pres. part., Minobin; past tense, Minobaga; to be jealous. It is singular that whilst the natives to the west of the hills are very jealous, those to the east are said to be rather the contrary, offering their women readily for a small consideration. There are but three children of a mixed race yet known to exist in the colony. These children are said to be not only treated with great affection by the mother, but also with particular care and attention by her husband, and to be regarded as objects of pride and satisfaction by the other natives.

Min-ya, s.—A smell; Minya-djul, a stink.

Min-yang, s.—(Murray River.) A tear.

Min-ya, s.—Dew. The dews of summer are frequent and very beneficial to vegetation. No injury is sustained by persons sleeping exposed to them.

Minyt, s.—The countenance. It is always expressive, and when not distorted by passion, is rather pleasing. The eyebrows of many project considerably, which makes the eyes appear sunk, and the forehead receding; but some faces are quite Asiatic.

Minyt-wallăk-ijow, v.—To alter; to change; to put a new face on a thing. Compound of Minyt, the countenance; Wallăk, in part, divided; and Ijow, to put.

Min-yudo, a.—Stale; mouldy.

Mirak, s.—Applied to a married woman when speaking of her to her brother; a married sister.

Miralgar, s.—Poising; balancing the spear in a quivering state preparatory to discharging it. The attitude of the native at this time is beautiful, the right arm upraised and drawn back, the chest expanded, the head erect, the eye active and gleaming.

Miran, v.—Pres part., Miran; past tense, Miran. To poise or quiver a spear preparatory to throwing.

Mirang, v.—Pres. Part, Mirangwin; past tense, Mirangaga. To cry; to grieve; to lament.

Miro, s.—The throwing-board used by the natives to launch the spear. It is about two feet long, about four inches broad in the middle, and tapering off at each end. One end is armed with a piece of glass or quartz, set on with Kadjo, or grass-tree gum, which is used particularly for scraping and tapering the points of the spears. The other end has a small point or hook resting upon the flat side of the Miro, which is intended to enter a hole at the butt end of the spear, and so steady it in the act of throwing, and which forms also the actual fulcrum from which the spear is projected. This is a lever of considerable power, and could never have been invented by the natives in their present state of barbarism. It is a sort of inflexible sling, and is said to resemble the amentum of the ancients. See Kyli. Also the outskirts of a wood or hunting ground.

Mirow, v.—Pres. part, Mirowin; past tense, Miraga. To call; to cry out.