Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu/237

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V
MARRIAGE RULES
211

when his beard has grown again after the Burbung ceremony, and the consent of the kindred on both sides has been given, he fetches his promised wife, and usually her brother returns with him to his part of the tribe, and receives the sister in exchange. This exchange of sisters was called "Gun-gunmur." At times when the father of a girl refused to give his consent to the marriage of his daughter to some man, she eloped with him; and if they could remain away for a long time, say a year, they were forgiven on their return.

In the Baraba-baraba tribe, which was probably an offshoot of the Wiradjuri, the marriages in the sub-classes were as follows, according to Mr. A. L. P. Cameron:—

Yipai and Butha Wumbai and Yipatha
Muri and Kubetha Kubi and Matha

This, however, requires further confirmation, being quite contrary to the general class law.

In the northern section of the Wiradjuri, whose country is on the Lachlan River, the rules of marriage and descent have marked differences from those of the southern Wiradjuri or the Kamilaroi.

The marriages and descents are shown in the subjoined table, which exhibits both the regular and the anomalous marriages:—

MARRIAGES AND DESCENTS, WIRADJURI TRIBE, LACHLAN RIVER![1]
Male Marries Children are
Ipai mallee-hen Kubbitha black duck
  or Kubbitha red kangaroo
Ipai padi-melon Kubbitha lace-lizard
or (anomalous)
Matha bandicoot
Ipai opossum Kubbitha bandicoot
Matha black duck
Matha red kangaroo
Matha snake
or (anomalous)
  1. A. L. P. Cameron.