There were many such paintings, and in an isolated rock was the profile of a man cut in solid stone, of a character more European than Native, executed in a style beyond what any savage would be thought capable of.
Both Flinders and King, along the coast, discovered drawings of porpoises, turtles, fish, &c., and a human head, done in charcoal or burnt stick and something like white paint, upon the face of the rock.
These paintings are on the coast or near it, and may be the work probably of some persons who had visited the coast, and not of the aboriginals themselves, as the Malays frequently visited the coast.
The red hand seen in the caves is another singular device, which is also met with amongst the North American Indians. But what are most remarkable are the stone circles at Mount Elephant, Victoria, resembling the stone monuments at Stonehenge in England.
The stones in these structures are of ponderous masses, raised upright, seemingly pointing to a fact that the same people were spread far and wide, of which we know nothing at present.
With regard to superstition, Sir G. Grey’s party had reached a stream of fresh water, where there was abundance of mussels, but Kaiber would not touch any of them, and was in great terror on seeing the whites devour them. A storm of thunder set in, which made the party rather chilly and miserable. He chanted a glowing song by way of reproach.
Oh! wherefore would you eat the mussels?
Now the boyl-yas storm and thunder make;
Oh! wherefore would you eat the mussels?
If boys eat proscribed food they believe they will have sore legs, or turn grey, or suffer under some other infliction.