Geographical Collections. 



do every thing in his power to keep people here ; and a few who have risked 

 every thing, or who have not the means to return, may endeavour to support 

 him ; but it is my firm opinion that this will never be a flourishing colony. 

 Government may think it advisable to form a military station here ; and a 

 few may, with great labour, obtain a scanty subsistence. More than this 

 must not be expected. I shall endeavour to leave in September or October. 

 My loss cannot but be very considerable, as farming implements do not meet 

 with a ready sale, or sell at such ridiculously low prices, that I intend to bring 

 them back with me. 



" I cannot say that I feel very unhappy ; perhaps the time is not yet come 

 for me to be so. I always find a merry face at home, and, when away, I 

 am generally too much engaged to reflect. The labourers will have the 

 choice of remaining here, or of going on to Sydney, where they will be able 

 to get good wages, and, if steady, do well. 



" Our voyage out, like most other voyages, was tedious and unpleasant 

 enough. The ship was crowded to an excess with cabin and steerage 

 passengers, dogs, horses, cows, pigs, &c. &c. "We touched at Madeira 

 and at the Cape, and were about four months at sea. The natives are a 

 very peaceable race; they are not numerous, and, with kind treatment, 

 would not, I think, prove troublesome. Kangaroos are plentiful ; but 

 without dogs trained to hunt them, it is almost impossible to obtain the 

 large sort. I sometimes catch a few in traps, which weigh four or five 

 pounds, and have a few sent me as presents from Garden Island, where they 

 abound. They make a delicious stew, — at least we think it so. 



" I have, on the whole, been tolerably successful with my gun, as wild 

 ducks abound in the lakes. Parrots and cockatoos we find good eating, but 

 eagles, hawks, crows, and sea-gulls, are eaten by some, and nothing in the 

 shape of fresh meat is thrown away. There is now a tolerable supply of 

 mutton, at lOd. per lb., about 1000 sheep ; there are also some oxen, so 

 that we shall not starve, or be entirely reduced to salt provisions. Poultry 

 thrives ; and I am happy to say, that I have twenty-three young chickens, 

 which, in due time, will go into the pot. I have not yet been able to 

 shoot a black swan, although I have seen many ; they are a very handsome 

 bird, but smaller than the common white swan. An emu crossed my path 

 one day, which I had the good fortune to bring down. It weighed ninety 

 pounds ; and as it measured from the tip of the beak to the end of the claw 

 nearly eight feet, I think it must have stood nearly seven. It ran very 

 swiftly ; and as I had only broken one of the legs, I had great difliculty to 

 kill it. The flesh very much resembled, in colour, taste, and appearance, 

 very tender beef. This was a fine windfall, as it gave us all a supply of 

 fresh meat for three days, besides some handsome presents I was able to 

 make. — Cockhurn Sound, Swan River, April 26, 1830." 



Inhabitants of King George's Sound.* — A paper on the manners and 

 customs of the inhabitants of King George's Sound, was communicated to 

 the Royal Geographical Society in February last. The author had accom- 

 panied the party to form the settlement in that part of Australia, in 1826, 

 in the capacity of medical attendant, and remained there till 1829. Mr 

 Kind's communications with the natives were much facilitated, in conse- 

 quence of their friendly dispositions and frequent visits to the settlement ; 

 and he did not lose the opportunity thus afforded him, of making observations . 

 on a race of whom we previously knew little. 



The natives of King George's Sound do not diiFer materially from the 

 aborigines of Sydney. Their only article of dress is a cloak of kangaroo 



* We have to acknowledge our obligations once for all to the Athenanim for early- 

 reports of the papers read before the Royal Geographical Society j and, amongst others, 

 for the following interesting notice, — Ed. 



