two purposes. It gives security to the tribes that there will be no collusion between their agents for their own private advantage, and also compels the two always to conduct the business through third parties."[1]
It appears that two persons may be made ngia-ngiampe to each other temporarily. The kalduke is divided between them, and as long as they keep their respective portions they are estranged from each other, and may be appointed to act as agents. This is a very convenient arrangement.
Mr. A. W. Howitt mentions the traffic that is carried on amongst the tribes of the Cooper's Creek district. They exchange shields for girdles. Near Kyejerou, Mr. Howitt saw a conch-shell, which had been brought from the north or north-east coast. It was highly valued, and must have passed from tribe to tribe for a long distance—perhaps eight hundred or one thousand miles.
Mr. J. McDouall Stuart says that he found, on the River Chambers (lat. 14° 30′ S., long. 133° 2.5′ E.), blacks in the possession of a piece of iron, which was used as a tomahawk. It had a large round eye, in which they had fixed a handle; and the edge was about the breadth of an ordinary tomahawk. When hot, it had been hammered together. It had apparently been the hinge of some large door or other large article. The natives had ground it down, and seemed to know the use of it.
At Attack Creek (lat. 18° 50′ S., long. 134° 30′ E.) he saw a black with a large sea-shell, and a spear with bamboo at one end. The sea-shell and the bamboo showed that the natives had communication with the sea-coast.[2]
The people of the Dieyerie tribe (Cooper's Creek) are great traders. Mr. Gason says that "their whole life is spent in bartering; they rarely retain any article for long. The articles received by them in exchange one day are bartered away the next, whether at a profit or loss. Should any one of them, more shrewd than another, profit on one occasion by this traffic, he is sure immediately after to sacrifice his advantage, and the majority of their quarrels are caused by bartering or refusing to barter."
The men of this tribe, when travelling for red-ochre, barter with the people they come in contact with.
There is a considerable trade carried on between the natives of Cape York and the islanders of Torres Straits. Two gentlemen—Mr. Howe and Mr. Kennett—who had been residing for some time at Cape York, informed me that the Australians obtain bows and arrows by exchange. Some of the Australians, they thought, occasionally crossed over to New Guinea; they certainly visit many of the islands and atolls; and on one occasion Mr. Kennett himself went about half-way across. He told me that he was well-treated by the natives.
The Messrs. Jardine, in referring to this subject, say that the Goomkoding and Gudang tribes seem to hold most communication with the islanders of Torres Straits, the intermixture of races being evident. Kororega words are used by both these tribes, and the bow and arrow are sometimes seen among them, having been procured from the islands. Drums are also obtained by barter from the people of Torres Straits.[3]
- ↑ The Narrinyeri, by the Rev. Geo. Taplin, pp. 25-6.
- ↑ Explorations: 1861-2, pp. 64 and 75.
- ↑ Narrative of the Overland Expedition of the Messrs. Jardine from Rockhampton to Cape York, 1867.
