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[Page 151]
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TRADITIONS
III.- TRADITIONS OF THE PAST, AND OF THE FUTURE STATE
According to Andrew Hume the Aborigines near the north-western coast say that the first people who ever settled on this land were four men (brothers) and their four wives, who came in a canoe from the eastward. After they had been here some time, two of the women expressed a wish to return to their native land. The men strongly opposed them ; and the two women secretly took the canoe and went out to sea by themselves. The god, Thilkuma, punished them by throwing a large piece of rock on the canoe, and thus destroyed them. They two men who had thus lost their wives were advised by the other two to go back to their native country and get other wives there. But this they would not do ; and some years after, when the daughter of the women who remained were grown up, their uncles (the widows) seized them and made them their wives.
This was a flagrant breach of a low known to be maintained in this Colony and probably established over all Australia. For this transgression they were driven south-ward, into a cold and barren country. After some years the Inyao-a (righteous people) of the north-west, being grieved at the misery of their kindred, prayed that they might be forgiven. They were forgiven and were allowed to settle in peace all over the country, on condition that they re-established the law of descent and marriage which they and their fathers had violated. But as a mark of their guilt they were not allowed to speak the same language as the Inyao-a. Hence arose the division of tongues among the Australians. To this day the people in the north-west call themselves Inyao-a, and speak of all the rest of the aborigines as Karnivual (bastards).
To this legend related by Hume is this, which was told in explanation of the division of the territory among the tribes. Two brother came and settled in the country. One was good, the other bad. The bad one got up a conspiracy to drive out his good brother ; but Thilkuma, the fire-god, came to the help of the latter, and burnt up part of the army of evil-doers. Thilkuma then advised the man to whom he had given the victory to be content with his own territory and live in peace. But the man was greedy of power, and invaded the land of others to the north and the west. After many days fighting, this man fell sick. In his sleep Thilkuma appeared to him, and threatened to destroy him unless he ceased from killing men. Still he persisted in attacking his neighbours. They cried to their god, Dhaigugan, who helped them, and drove back the invader.