[117] The common opossum is called by the aborigines, in this part of the country, “Wille,” and “Wadjan;” the ring-tailed opossum, “Bokare,” and “Kindine.”
[118] The men at one of the farms, when occupied in shearing, complained of a small green-coloured fly annoying them exceedingly, by flying about their eyes; so much so, as frequently to oblige them to discontinue their labour: an itching sensation of the eyes followed, and it seemed, to use their own words, “as if they were about to have an attack of the blight.”
[119] Alluding to large trees, I heard a person, who had fully persuaded himself of the fact, endeavour to impress his auditors with the belief that a tree existed upon the estate of the Van Dieman’s Land Company nine hundred feet high!!! This gigantic vegetable production would certainly beat “Raffle’s flower,” or “Crawford’s root,” and must be very valuable if only as a gigantic curiosity.
[120] An excellent ley for soap, is made from the “swamp oak,” when burnt; and a ley is also procured at the island of Tahiti, in the South Seas, from the Casuarina equisetifolia for a similar purpose.
[121] The aborigines call our domestic fowls, as well as all birds, by the general name of “Bújan.”
[122] The “black leg” is evidently the disease among the cattle, known in Ireland as the “crippawn,” a kind of paralytic affection of the limbs, which generally ends fatally; the customary course is by bleeding, and changing them to a drier pasture.
[123] Called honeysuckle by the colonists, because the flowers secrete a quantity of honey, which is attractive to the natives, and the numerous parroquets, when the trees are in bloom.
[124] The name of the native that accompanied me was “Buru, birrima,” which he said he received from the name of the place where he was born. This appears a common method among the aborigines of bestowing names upon persons, as well as from any personal defect. The native name of Mr. Bradley’s farm is “Bungee,” and his little child born there will usually be known by that name among the aborigines.
[125] There is also at Batavia a bird which emits a melancholy scream and whistle during the night; it is called by the Javanese “Borong Matee,” or “Death bird,” and is regarded by them, as well as by some of the European residents, as a bird of ill-omen; and its note is supposed to indicate the approaching death of some individual. I was informed, that the decease of a gentleman at Batavia was indicated some time before by one of these birds uttering its melancholy screams, and hovering near the dwelling, and this was mentioned by a European, who credited the superstitious idea that these birds were ominous.
[126] Governor King, when at Norfolk Island, cut down one which measured, after it was felled, two hundred and twenty-eight feet long, and eleven feet in diameter.