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[Page 177]
LAWS OF MARRIAGE AND DESCENT.
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V. The children of A's father's brothers, and of his mother's sisters, are A's brothers and sisters. The children of A's father's sisters, and of his mother's brothers, are his cousins. So in the Australian system, the children of two or more brothers have the same names; and the children of two or more sisters have the same names; but the children of a brother and a sister must have different names. Thus the children of several Ippais are all Murri and Matha; the children of several Ippathas are all Kumbo and Butha. But the children of an Ippai have not the same names as the children his sister Ippatha.
VI. A being a male, the children of his male cousins are his nephews and nieces, the children of his female cousins are his sons and daughters. This rule and the Australian rule coincide at some points. Thus, in the pedigree given above, Ippai and Ippatha are the cousins of Kubbi. Ippai's children have different names to those of Kubbi; and Ippatha's children, like her cousin Kubbi's, are all Kumbo and Butha.
VII. All brothers of A's grandfathers and grandmothers, are his grandmothers. All sisters of his grandfather and grandmothers are his grandmothers. So Kumbo's grandfather by the father's side is Kumbo, and all brothers of that grandfather are Kumbo Kumbo's maternal grandfather is Murri, so are that grandfather's brothers. Kumbo's paternal grandmother and her sisters are all Matha; his maternal grandmother and her sisters are all Butha.
VIII. In Tamil the elder brother is distinguished from all the rest by the title "brother." The Australian rule as to the use of the terms " daiadi" and "gullami" for brothers, and of "boadi" and "buri" for sisters, is more complex, but indicates some similarity of thought as to the distinction.
In reference to the above remarkable system of classification, marriage, descent, and relationship, I have been careful to test the accuracy of the rules, by obtaining independent statements from many Aborigines and half-castes, and comparing them together. Thus I am now able, with unhesitating certainty, to state that the system is as above described; and, while there are local variations in names and divisions, the rules are substantially the same all over the north-western parts of this Colony, and in a large portion of Queensland. And in the absence of any architectural monuments of antiquity among the Australian race, this all-comprehensive social classification and conservative marriage law may be regarded as constituting a memorial of the most significant character.