Waung (the Crow) again flew away with it, and for a length of time the blacks were in great distress. One night, however, Toordt and Trrar came down from the sky, and mingled with the blacks. They told the blacks that Waung had hidden the fire on a mountain named Nun-ner-woon. Toordt and Trrar then flew upwards. Trrar returned safely with the fire, having, during his journey, pulled bark from off the trees to keep the fire alive, as is usually done by the Aborigines when they are travelling. Toordt returned to his home in the sky, and came back no more to the blacks. It is said that he was burnt to death on a mouutaiu named Mun-ni-o, where he had kindled a fire in order to keep alive the small quantity he had procured. He made a fire hard by a tree called Mello-an on that mountain.
Some of the sorcerers or priests affirm that he was not burnt to death on that mountain, but that Pund-jel, for his good deeds, changed him into a fiery star, and they now point to Mars as the good Toordt.
The good Kar-ak-ar-ook had told the women to examine well the stick she had broken, and from which came the smoke and fire, and never to lose the gift; but, as this was not enough, Trrar took the men to a mountain, whereon grows Djel-wuk (of the wood of which they could make weenth-kalk-kalk, i.e., fire-sticks), and he showed them how to form and use Boo-bo-bo and Bab-a-noo, so that they might always have the means at hand to light a fire. He left them no spark of fire at that time. He flew away upwards and was seen no more.
Mr. Stanbridge says that the Boorong tribe, who inhabit the Mallee country in the neighbourhood of Lake Tyrril, have preserved an account of the Nur-rum-bung-uttias, or old spirits, a people who formerly possessed their country, and who had a knowledge of fire. The star Canopus (War, i.e., Waung) he says is the male Crow, the brother of Ware-pil, and the first to bring fire from space (tyrille), and to give it to the Aborigines, before which they were without it.
Another account of the mode in which fire was first procured by the Aborigines of Australia is thus given by Mr. James Browne:—[1]"A long, long time ago a little bandicoot was the sole owner of a fire-brand, which he cherished with the greatest jealousy, carrying it about with him wherever he went, and never allowing it out of his own special care; so selfish was he in the use of his prize, that he obstinately refused to share it with the other animals his neighbours; and so they held a general council, where it was decided that the fire must be obtained from the bandicoot either by force or strategy. The hawk and pigeon were deputed to carry out this resolution; and after vainly trying to induce the fire-owner to share its blessings with its neighbours, the pigeon, seizing as he thought an unguarded moment, made a dash to obtain the prize. The bandicoot saw that affairs had come to a crisis, and in desperation threw the fire towards the water, there to quench it for ever. But, fortunately for the black man, the sharp-eyed hawk was hovering near the river, and seeing the fire falling into the water, he made a dart towards it, and
- ↑ Canadian Journal, vol. I., p. 509, quoted by Wilson.
