of establishing goodwill by a friendly understanding.  The day following, another patriarch of the camp appeared and made it known that he, too, had property rights in the trees, and demanded payment.  Without formally recognising his claim, but with the idea of strengthening the bond of good-fellowship, his price was also paid.  Again a third old man made a similar demand, explaining that neither of the others had the right of disposing of his individual interests.  He, too, was sent away content.  In the course of a day or two a young man presented his claim, expounding the law of the country and the camp, which was to the purpose that no single person or any number of persons, individually or collectively, was or were entitled to barter the rights and property of another.  The bean-trees especially were subject to the law of entail.  The old men, the young soothsayer explained, could not legally deprive him of his rights to the fruit of the trees that had been the property of his as well as their ancestors, though he, disingenuously, was quite ready for a personal consideration to forego his privileges.  He, too, was for peace sake made happy; and it was there and then explained by the settlers, definitely and determinedly, that no more payment for the particular trees about to be sacrificed on the altar of civilisation would be made.  In future the laws of the camps were to be restricted to the hundreds of other bean-trees in the jungle, each of which, if wanted, would be the subject of special negotiation.

The “Debil-debil”

Blacks in their attempts to give verisimilitude to the “debil-debil” generally describe that personage as having hands fitted with hooks or sharp needles.  An intelligent boy of the Cape York Peninsula added a few thrilling details on an occasion, when, to allay his fears, his Boss had promised to shoot the “debil-debil” should the boy be molested.  “No more carn shoot that fella, Boss.  All asame sum-moke.”  The boy said that the “debil-debil” had arms like the lawyer vine—­long and set with spurs—­and dwelt in the heart of the mountains, in the thickest jungle.  “Subpose,” said the terrified boy, “black fella might hear ’em, that debil-debil tching out, altogether no more yabber little bit (keep silence).  Altogether tell ’um um-boi-ya (medicine man).  That one trow’um wookoo (message-stick) alonga scrub.  He trow’um pire stick, ung-kurra, eparra ung neera, arwonadeer (north, south, west, east).  He sit down little bit.  Bi’mby that one ah-anaburra (scrub turkey) he plenty ’tching out.  Altogether black fella make ’um big fella fire.  He no more sleep.  He look out all time.  Bi’mby, longa morning he altogether yan.  He looked out ’nother fella yamber (camp).  Ole man plenty time bin yabba me debil-debil before long time, bin catch ’em ole man ole woman.  He no more see ’em.  He find ’em little bit yetin (skin) longa yil-gil-gil (lawyer vine).  Ole man bin yabba some time debil-debil ’tching out like it big fella oor-bung-ah (big wind) first time; bi’mby tching out all asame youn-me bin hear ’em.  Black fella he no more see ’em nuthin.  One time altogether been see ’em like it sum-moke.  Heyan.  Debil-debil come up.  Me no bin see ’em.  Me bin hear ’em one time.  Me close up ar-tum-ena (baby).”