Volume II Part 2 (1/2)

Their voices, shrill like those of all their felloere heard before they were seen With these it was particularly so, though on all occasions the speaking, and hallooing of the Aborigines can be heard at a very considerable distance They were found, when on shore, to be of the party we had before seen in Shoal Bay, with the addition of five strange men All appeared actuated by the sa indication of which was their presenting themselves without spears Like hteen inches long, run through the cartilage of the nose Their astonish; sudden exclamations of surprise and admiration burst from their lips, while the varied expressions and play of countenance, showed how strongly their feelings were at ithin

(Footnote Speaking of natives appearing without spears, reminds me to mention for the information of future explorers, that their arms are always near at hand They even trail them sometimes between their toes, a fact which travellers should ever bear in ular, and not very susceptible of explanation, that although they cliht notch cut as they ascend, the natives will hesitate in alarht; it was, therefore, some time before this party could be induced to look down the well At length by stretching their spare bodies and necks to the utht of the water in the bottom

SURPRISE OF NATIVES AT THE WELL

The effect upon theical, and they stood at first as if electrified At length their feelings gained vent, and fro perhaps could have more decisively shown the superiority of the whitethus able to procure this necessary of life fro ht n how scarce is water in this part of the country I should certainly say from the immense quantity each man drank, which o quarts, that this was the case A further corroboration of the extreme importance of this element to the Western Australian is, that a native, in describing a fine country, always opens his narrative by stating the important fact--plenty water

The deep interest which in the natives always succeeds to the discovery of this necessary article, ly impress the explorer, ill ever afterwards look upon streas from any before experienced In no land does the presence of waterit froreen spot, than in Australia, and it is in journeying through such a country, when one suddenly meets with a luxuriant valley, that the eye naturally dwells with delight on the changing scene, and the is to us even when far away When gazing on the superabundant water that flows in almost every corner of the earth, we cannot but reflect on the scantily supplied Australian, nor fail to wish him a more plentiful supply

BLESSING OF WATER

Naturally we are disposed to reflect but little on the great blessings of the s In the eyes of the civilized ht; but it is the traveller who learns to appreciate how great blessings they are in reality

An influenza appeared to be raging a severely e met them Several attempts were made to induce them to come on board, but they proved vain

So the shore, they would enter the bow of it, as if about to accompany us; no sooner, however, was the boat in hted to deceive us, acting, in fact, exactly the part of noisy children

”IRRU, IRRU”

Our friendly intercourse with these natives sustained a shock, which at first threatened to annihilate it, but which fortunately ended, as it began, in smoke One of the officers used a coar; at this newfire all eyes were open--for doubtless they procure it only by hted cigar between his lips, and roll forth froht took full possession of the ”irru, irru,” with the arht vertical motion of the hand, they darted offup the face of a precipitous cliff, with extraordinary agility Their cry of ”irru, irru,” and their 's Sound, under sootten their fright, and had returned to renew the friendly relations this little incident had interrupted

During the short time we passed with this people in Port Darwin, soe were collected by reed in I have noted down, but the different naiven by the same person, here and at Shoal Bay, will at once impress the reader with the conviction of how impossible it is for transient visitors to obtain a correct vocabulary Those first ton, were found to be half Malay words, and of anyrather than what they were supposed to convey The words given below are from Mr Earl's vocabulary, the result of four years careful examination and experience

COLUMN 1: ENGLISH

COLUMN 2: SHOAL BAY

COLUMN 3: PORT DARWIN

COLUMN 4: PORT ESSINGTON

COLUMN 5: SWAN RIVER

Crab : Algaura : - : Meir : -

Dog : Melinga : - : Mugki : Dudah

Ear : Bangua : - : Alayjar : Zungah

Eye : Ummera : Mical : Ira : Mael

Hair : Brailbal : Cutap

Hand : - : Guian : - : -

Stone : - : Lowheil : - : -

Tree : Ure : - : Aujije : Nalgo

Water : - : Kararback : - : Kaaby

DIFFICULTY OF UNDERSTANDING THE NATIVES