Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/396

 342 let it cook by the heat of the mid-day sun. They also observed that the barbs were neatly fastened on to his spears with gum, and that all his weapons were better finished than those of other people. Repeated inquiries as to how he managed all these things elicited nothing definite, and consequently the pigeon, watt, and the sparrowhawk, kurringar, were appointed to watch him when out hunting. About the middle of the day they saw smoke rising from where he was camping, and, as they could not make out what it was, they stole upon him unawares. As soon as the bandicoot saw them he commenced putting the fire into the usual receptacle; but the sparrowhawk, who was always very quick in his movements, made a sudden rush and secured some of it, with which he set fire to the surrounding bush. Every tree, from the hardest to the softest, got a share of the fire, and from them the blacks have obtained it ever since.

Why Lakes are Salt.—The natives of the Kimberley district of Western Australia believe that a supernatural monster, in serpent form, made all the rivers as he travelled inland from the sea. The big waterholes which occur along the courses of the rivers are places where he rested at night. Once he camped for a long time at the shallow lake into which the Sturt Creek empties, and it is owing to his urine that the water there is saline. The saltness of other lakes in that part of the country is ascribed to the same cause. This creature is known as Ranbal in some locallties, and as Wonnaira in others.

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Parramatta, N.S. Wales.

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Worcestershire.

The following items were collected from servants, old residents, school children, etc., in the neighbourhood of Hartlebury during the years 1900-1, except when another date is affixed.