186. W. Howitt, `Discovery in Australia, vol. ii. p. 24:_Austral English

"Koolimans, water vessels. . . The koolimans were made of the

inner layer of the bark of the stringy-bark tree."

1881. A. C. Grant, `Bush Life in Queensland,' vol. ii. p. 185:

"Coolaman, native vessel for holding water."

1885. Mrs. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 76:

"Cooliman, a vessel for carrying water, made out of the bark

which covers an excrescence peculiar to a kind of gum-tree."

<hw>Cooper's-flag</hw>, n. another name in New Zealand

for Raupo (q.v.).

<hw>Coopers-wood</hw>, n. the timber of an Australian

tree, Alphitonia excelsa, Reiss, N.O. Rhamneae.

The wood becomes dark with age, and is used for coopers' staves

and various purposes.

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 373:

"Variously called Mountain-ash, Red-ash, Leather-jacket,

and Coopers-wood."

<hw>Coordaitcha</hw>. See Kurdaitcha.

<hw>Coot</hw>, n. common English birdname; the

Australian species is Fulica australis, Gould.

See also Bald-Coot.

<hw>Copper-head</hw>, n. See under Snake.

<hw>Copper Maori</hw>. This spelling has been influenced by

the English word Copper, but it is really a corruption

of a Maori word. There is a difference of opinion amongst

Maori scholars what this word is. Some say Kapura, a

common fire used for cooking, in contradistinction to a

`chief's fire,' at which he sat, and which would not be allowed

to be defiled with food. Others say Kopa. The Maori

word Kopa was (1) adj. meaning bent, (2)

n. angle or corner, and (3) the native

oven, or more strictly the hole scooped out for the oven.

1888. T. Pine, `Transactions of New Zealand Institute,' `A

local tradition of Raukawa,' vol. xxi. p. 417:

"So they set to work and dug holes on the flat, each hole about

2 ft. across and about 1 1/2 ft. deep, and shaped something

like a Kopa Maori."

1889. H. D. M. Haszard, ibid. `Notes on some Relics of

Cannibalism,' vol. xxii. p. 104:

"In two distinct places, about four chains apart, there were a

number of Kapura Maori, or native ovens, scattered about

within a radius of about forty feet."

<hw>Coprosma</hw>, n. scientific and vernacular

name fora large genus of trees and shrubs of the order

Rubiaceae. From the Greek kopros, dung,

on account of the bad smell of some of the species.

See quotation. The Maori name is Karamu (q.v.).

Various species receive special vernacular names,

which appear in their places in the Dictionary.

1889. T. Kirk, `Forest Flora of New Zealand,' p. 110:

"Corosma comprises about forty species, of which at

least thirty are found in New Zealand, all of which are

restricted to the colony except C. pumila, which extends

to Australia. Five species are found in Australia, one of

which is C. pumila mentioned above. A few species occur

in the Pacific, Chili, Juan Fernandez, the Sandwich Islands,

&c."

<hw>Coral</hw>, n. See Batswing-Coral.

<hw>Coral-Fern</hw>, n. name given in Victoria to

Gleichenia circinata, Swartz, called in Bailey's list

Parasol-Fern. See Fern.

<hw>Coral-Flower</hw>, n. a plant, Epacris

(q.v.), Epacris microphylla, R. Br.,

N.O. Epacrideae.

<hw>Coral-Pea</hw>, n. another name for the Kennedya

(q.v.).

1896. `The Melburnian,' Aug. 28, p. 53:

"The trailing scarlet kennedyas, aptly called the

`bleeding-heart' or `coral pea,' brighten the greyness of the

sandy, peaty wastes."

<hw>Coranderrk</hw>, n. the aboriginal name for the

Victorian Dogwood (q.v.). An "aboriginal station," or

asylum and settlement for the remaining members of the

aboriginal race of Victoria, is called after this name because

the wood grew plentifully there.

<hw>Cordage-tree</hw>, n. name given in Tasmania to a

Kurrajong (q.v.). The name Sida pulchella has

been superseded by Plagianthus sidoides, Hook.

1835. Ross, `Hobart Town Almanack,' p. 108:

"Sida pulchella. Handsome Sida. Currijong or cordage tree of

Hobart Town. . . . The bark used to be taken for tying up post

and rail fences, the rafters of huts, in the earlier periods of

the colony, before nails could be so easily procured."

<hw>Corella</hw>, n. any parrot of the genus

Nymphicus; the word is dim. of late Lat. cora =

korh, a girl, doll, etc. The Australian Corella is

N. novae-hollandiae, and the name is also given to

Licmetus nasicus, Temm, the Long-billed Cockatoo

(q.v.). It is often used indiscriminately by bird-fanciers for

any pretty little parrot, parrakeet, or cockatoo.

<hw>Cork-tree</hw>, n. See Bat's-wing Coral.

<hw>Corkwood</hw>, n. a New Zealand tree, Entelea

arborescens, R. Br., N.O. Tiliaceae. Maori name,

Whau.

1889. T. Kirk, `Forest Flora of New Zealand,' p. 45:

"The whau . . . is termed corkwood by the settlers on account

of its light specific gravity."

<hw>Cormorant</hw>, n. common English bird-name.

In Australia the name is applied to the following birds:--

Black Cormorant--

Graculus novae-hollandiae, Steph.

Little C.--

G. melanoleucus, Vieill.

Little-black C.--

G. stictocephalus, Bp. .

Pied C.--

G. varius, Gm.

White-breasted Cormorant--

G. leucogaster, Gould.

White-throated C.--

G. brevirostris, Gould.

<hw>Cornstalk</hw>, n. a young man or a girl born

and bred in New South Wales, especially if tall and big.

1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,'

vol. ii. p. 116:

"The colonial-born, bearing also the name of cornstalks (Indian

corn), from the way in which they shoot up."

1834. Geo. Benett, `Wanderings in New South Wales,' vol. i.

p. 341:

"The Australian ladies may compete for personal beauty and

elegance with any European, although satirized as `Cornstalks,'

from the slenderness of their forms."

1849. J. P. Townsend, `Rambles in New South Wales,' p. 68:

"Our host was surrounded by a little army of `cornstalks.'. . .

The designation `cornstalk' is given because the young people

run up like the stems of the Indian corn."

1869. W. R. Honey, `Madeline Clifton,' Act III. sc. v. p. 30:

"Look you, there stands young cornstalk."

1878. `The Australian,' vol. i. p. 526:

"If these are the heroes that my cornstalk friends worship

so ardently, they must indeed be hard up for heroes."

1893. Haddon Chambers, `Thumbnail Sketches of Australian Life,'

p. 217:

"While in the capital I fell in with several jolly cornstalks,

with whom I spent a pleasant time in boating, fishing, and

sometimes camping out down the harbour."

<hw>Correa</hw>, n. the scientific name of a genus of

Australian plants of the N.O. Rutaceae, so named after

Correa de Serra, a Portuguese nobleman who wrote on rutaceous

plants at the beginning of the century. They bear scarlet or

green and sometimes yellowish flowers, and are often called

Native Fuchsias (q.v.), especially C. speciosa, Andrews,

which bears crimson flowers.

1827. R. Sweet, `Flora Australasica,' p. 2:

"The genus was first named by Sir J. E. Smith in compliment to

the late M. Correa de Serra, a celebrated Portuguese botanist."

1859. H. Kingsley, `Geoffrey Hamlyn,' p. 384:

"The scarlet correa lurked among the broken quartz."

1877. F. v. Mueller, `Botanic Teachings,' p. 70:

"With all wish to maintain vernacular names, which are not

actually misleading, I cannot call a correa by the common

colonial name `native fuchsia,' as not the slightest structural

resemblance and but little habitual similarity exists between

these plants; they indeed belong to widely different orders."

Ibid.:

"All Correas are geographically restricted to the south-eastern

portion of the Australian continent and Tasmania, the genus

containing but few species."

1880. Mrs. Meredith, `Tasmanian Friends and Foes,' p. 23:

"I see some pretty red correa and lilac." [Footnote]: "Correa

speciosa, native fuchsia of Colonies."

<hw>Corrobbery</hw>, n. This spelling is nearest to the

accepted pronunciation, the accent falling on the second

syllable. Various spellings, however, occur,

viz.--Corobbery, Corrobery, Corroberry, Corroborree,

Corrobbory, Corroborry, Corrobboree, Coroboree, Corroboree,

Korroboree, Corroborri, Corrobaree, and Caribberie.

To these Mr. Fraser adds Karabari (see quotation, 1892),

but his spelling has never been accepted in English. The word

comes from the Botany Bay dialect.

[The aboriginal verb (see Ridley's `Kamilaroi and other

Australian Languages,' p. 107) is korobra, to dance; in the

same locality boroya or beria means to sing; probably koro is

from a common Australian word for emu.--J. Mathew.]

(1) An aboriginal name for a dance, sacred, festive, or

warlike.

1793. Governor Hunter, `Port Jackson, p. 195:

"They very frequently, at the conclusion of the dance, would

apply to us . . . for marks of our approbation . . . which we

never failed to give by often repeating the word boojery,

good; or boojery caribberie, a good dance."

1830. R. Dawson, `Present State of Australia,' p. 280:

"Dancing with their corrobery motion."

Ibid. p. 311:

"With several corrobery or harlequin steps."

1833. C. Sturt, `Southern Australia,' vol. ii. c. iii. p. 55:

"They hold their corrobbores (midnight ceremonies)."

1836. C. Darwin, `Journal of the Voyage of the Beagle' (ed. 1882),

c. xix. p. 450:

"A large tribe of natives, called the white cockatoo men,

happened to pay a visit to the settlement while we were there.

These men as well as those of the tribe belonging to King

George's Sound, being tempted by the offer of some tubs of rice

and sugar were persuaded to hold a `corrobery' or great dancing

party." [Description follows.]

1838. T. L. Mitchell, `Three Expeditions,' vol. ii. p. 4:

"There can be little doubt that the corrobboree is the medium

through which the delights of poetry and the drama are enjoyed

in a limited degree, even by these primitive savages of New

Holland."

1844. Mrs. Meredith. `Notes and Sketches of New South Wales,'

p. 91:

"Great preparations were made, as for a grand corrobory, or

festival, the men divesting themselves of even the portions of

clothing commonly worn, and painting their naked black bodies

in a hideous manner with pipe-clay. After dark, they lit their

fires, which are small, but kept blazing with constant

additions of dry bark and leaves, and the sable gentry

assembled by degrees as they completed their evening toilette,

full dress being painted nudity. A few began dancing in

different parties, preparatory to the grand display, and the

women, squatting on the ground, commenced their strange

monotonous chant, each beating accurate time with two

boomerangs. Then began the grand corrobory, and all the men

joined in the dance, leaping, jumping, bounding about in the

most violent manner, but always in strict unison with each

other, and keeping time with the chorus, accompanying their

wild gesticulations with frightful yells, and noises. The

whole `tableau' is fearfully grand! The dark wild forest

scenery around--the bright fire-light gleaming upon the savage

and uncouth figures of the men, their natural dark hue being

made absolutely horrible by the paintings bestowed on them,

consisting of lines and other marks done in white and red

pipe-clay, which gives them an indescribably ghastly and

fiendish aspect--their strange attitudes, and violent

contortions and movements, and the unearthly sound of their

yells, mingled with the wild and monotonous wail-like chant of

the women, make altogether a very near approach to the horribly

sublime in the estimation of most Europeans who have witnessed

an assembly of the kind."

1846. G. H. Haydon, `Five Years in Australia Felix,' p. 103:

"They have no instrument of music, the corobery's song being

accompanied by the beating of two sticks together, and by the

women thumping their opossum rugs.'"

1847. J. D. Lang, `Cooksland,' p. 447 [Footnote]:

"These words, which were quite as unintelligible to the natives

as the corresponding words in the vernacular language of the

white men would have been, were learned by the natives, and are

now commonly used by them in conversing with Europeans, as

English words. Thus corrobbory, the Sydney word for a

general assembly of natives, is now commonly used in that sense

at Moreton Bay; but the original word there is

yanerwille. Cabon, great; narang, little;

boodgeree, good; myall, wild native, etc. etc.,

are all words of this description, supposed by the natives [of

Queensland] to be English words, and by the Europeans to be

aboriginal words of the language of that district."

[The phrase "general assembly" would rise naturally in the mind

of Dr. Lang as a Presbyterian minister; but there is no

evidence of anything parliamentary about a corrobbery.]

1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 78:

"The exact object or meaning of their famous corrobboree or

native dance, beyond mere exercise and patience, has not as yet

been properly ascertained; but it seems to be mutually

understood and very extensively practised throughout Australia,

and is generally a sign of mutual fellowship and good feeling

on the part of the various tribes."

1849. J. P. Townsend, `Rambles in New South Wales,' p. 100:

"When our blacks visited Sydney, and saw the military paraded,

and heard the bands, they said that was `white fellows'

corrobbory.'"