Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu/112

86 classes and the rules of their intermarriage are recorded in the following chapters.

On the coast immediately to the north of the boundary between New South Wales and Queensland there is a tribe called Chepara whose territory is said to have extended from Danger Point to near Brisbane.

It is to be noted that the country claimed by this tribe overlaps that of the Turrbal tribe, whose boundaries are said to have been the Pine River on the north, and the Logan River to the south, extending about 20 miles inland, and including the present site of Brisbane and its suburbs. These people were divided into local groups which met together at set times—for instance, the "mullet season."

The Chepara tribe was divided into at least the following clans with male descent, and each of the clans was subdivided into local groups.

(1) Chepara. This was the principal clan, and gave its name to the whole tribe. Its country was to the south of Brisbane, somewhat inland, but also along the coast.

(2) Mungulkabultu, in the Pimpana district.

(3) Munnadali, about the sources of the Albert River.

(4) Kuttibul, about the sources of the Logan River.

(5) Yungurpan, in the Coomera and Merang districts.

(6) Birrin, at the Tweed River.

(7) Burginmeri, in the Cleveland district.

(8) Chermanpura, the district along the coast.

There were some minor offshoots, which are not remembered by the blacks who were my informant's authorities.

The names of the clans were derived from local associations, as, for instance, Chepara means the coast, Mungulkabultu the neighbourhood of the mountains; the other names are from trees, shrubs, etc.

The Chepara was, so tradition says, originally the whole tribe, but in consequence of internal feuds it became broken up into the clans mentioned. This however seems, notwithstanding the positive assertions of the Chepara informants,