Book Description

Chap.1; Laura; early history; visit to Jack River (Gugu-Warra tribe), description of paintings in rock-shelter (Platform Gallery); galleries at Red Bluff; Chap.2; The Dig; Laura River, paintings, artefacts (hammer stones, hand-chopper & ochre material; Mushroom Rock gallery; legends of Woolcooldin (Noble Island & Shebas Breast (N.W. Cooktown); Bin Bin (thunderstorm), the moon & others; Chap.3; The Land of Legends; Bull Creek paintings; a Gugu-Imudji myth and others; paintings in Williams Creek shelters; Chap.4; The Old men; legends relating to the dingo, rainbow serpent (Gugu-Yalanji), comparison with Lardil version (few words given with translation); the echidna; the bandicoot & curlew; notes on sorcery paintings; kangaroo hunting magic; rock wallaby legend and many others; Chap.5; Willy and the Quinkans; life after death beliefs (Olcoola people); details of Quinkan beliefs and legends; Chap.6; The Willy-Wagtail and other Men; galleries (Mushroom Rock), legends; Chap.7; Sorcery versus snider rifles; chronological sequence of art styles; series of engravings on flat slabs on bed of Laura River; Chap.8; Emu and Pig galleries; Ginger Creek; the Woolston Gallery; visit to Lardil people on small island of Lungu-Narngi, secret language Damin taped; Chap; 9 Where Quinkans Dwell; stories of the Quinkans, paintings near Umbrella Tree galleries, engravings examined; Culture Hero Gallery; Chap.l0; Black Renegades; man of OcoCarnigal tribe, possibly group of Gugu-Warra; Mun Gin Creek site; Appendix; The Travels of Marnbil, the origin of Baralkea and Wallaby Island; throughout book detailed descriptions are given of all galleries; maps show route of legends demonstrating that Aboriginal migration first occurred from the west; approx. tribal locations & art sites; George Pegus (Gugu-Yalanji), Dick Roughsey (Lardil), Willy Long (Oekula) accompanied author on journeys.