266 NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. 



I 



they produce rapid death, and are met with throughout the colony in 

 spring. Another plant, noticed by Dr. Mueller, Gompholobium unci- 

 natum, is also very noxious to sheep. 



In my travels in Port Lincoln (the western part of South Australia), 

 in the years 1851 and 1854, I was frequently obliged to travel with 

 natives, and had opportunities of making the following observations 

 concerning their food obtained from the vegetable kingdom. The seed 

 of all the varieties of the Acacia, which they call " Nundo," is gathered 

 in large quantities, roasted in hot ashes, which makes it swell to double 

 its former size, and then eaten. As a proof how valuable these fruits 

 are to the natives, it may be mentioned that the Kukata tribe, living 

 in the north-west, and renowned as very savage and possessing the art 

 of sorcery, often threatens to burn the Nundo-bushes, or otherwise to 

 destroy them, to harass the inimical tribes. 



The roots of the Scorzonera Lawrencii, and of some Geraniaceous 

 plants, are also roasted in hot ashes, and have an agreeable taste. 



Two varieties of Mesembryanthemum, or Pig's-faces, which generally 

 grow in abundance on the sandhills along the sea-coast, and have an 

 agreeable flavour, are a favourite dish with the aborigines of the Port 

 Lincoln district. On my tour of this year I saw the natives between 

 the Grampians and Victoria Ranges eat the fleshy leaf of this plant 

 with kangaroo-flesh, as a substitute for salt. 



Another plant which is of great use to the aborigines is the Nitraria 

 Billardierit which grows in large quantities on high sandhills along the 

 western sea-coast of Port Lincoln. The fruit is of the form and size 

 of an olive, of a dark red colour, has a very pleasant taste, and is ex- 

 ceedingly cooling. In December and January the bushes are so full of 

 fruit that the natives lie down on their backs under them, strip off the 

 fruit with both hands, and do not rise until the whole bush has been 

 cleared of its load. At the time above mentioned I travelled with five 

 natives, who carried my collection of plants and my blankets on a very 

 hot day through this arid country. All at once they threw off their 

 loads, ran as quickly as they were able to one of these high sandhills, 

 and disappeared amongst the bushes. Not knowing the meaning of 

 all this, I followed them, and found the whole five as above described, 

 lying on their backs under the bushes. I could not do better than do 



so likewise, and when we had refreshed ourselves we continued our 

 journey. 



