[67] The aborigines are expert fishermen; and I have seen them capture a number of fish, when Europeans trying near them have not had even a nibble. About the Fish river, the aborigines have a novel manner of fishing—by placing a bait at the end of a spear, when the water is clear, and on the fish approaching, they transfix it with much expertness.
[68] The black cockatoo (of which at present there are only two species known) feeds on the larvæ of insects, or seeds of the Banksia, Hakea, and even those of the Xanthorrhœa, or grass tree.
[69] “Krardgee,” signifying a person who attends on the sick; and “kibba,” a stone.
[70] Yas Plains are distant one hundred and eighty-six miles from Sydney.
[71] Forest scenery in Australia is of a very dull character: with all my admiration of the vegetable kingdom, I could find but very little that was interesting in their appearance, unless flowering shrubs and plants were in profusion.
[72] The settlers in Australia, as in America, call wheat, barley, &c. grain; and when Englishmen speak of corn-fields, they consider he alludes to maize, which is alone called corn in this country. This often leads to mistakes in conversation.
[73] It is the beautiful Neem tree of India; the root is stated to be bitter and nauseous, and is used in North America as anthelminthic.
[74] The patients are persons only under the employ of government, or assigned servants of the settlers; for the latter the master pays a shilling daily for a month, or as many days less as the man may remain in the hospital; but should he remain longer than a month, no further charge is made.
[75] Since the above was written, this inconvenience has been obviated, by government establishing an hospital at Goulburn Plains.
[76] The following is the definition of a clergyman, as once given by one of the aborigines: “He, white feller, belonging to Sunday, get up top o’ waddy, pile long corrobera all about debbil debbil, and wear shirt over trowsel.”