THE VICTOKIAN NATURALIST. 157 



ferns and roots, the surface soil having evidently been washed 

 away, and had left a network of roots and stones exposed, many 

 being covered with moss; but it was very rough to walk over. 

 Lycopodium also occasionally covered the ground. Close to our 

 camping place were some high granite rocks, almost covered with 

 orchids, ferns, creepers, and moss. Orchids of various kinds 

 were also noticed on many of the trees. On having rested we 

 started again, and after about two hours' walking and stumbling 

 through thick scrub, and crossing three streams, we arrived at 

 our camp, which was well situated at the base of a huge granite 

 boulder, about 20 feet high, 40 feet long, and 15 feet wide, and 

 on the top were growing Fig trees and other shrubs, and in the 

 neighbourhood were found many similar large isolated granite 

 boulders, showing that the soil is being gradually washed away. 



Our height above sea level was 2,000 feet. We soon had our 

 tent fixed up and fires burning. The natives preferred sleeping 

 round their fires, under the shelter of the rock, to building a 

 humpy. I have often read about natives being early risers, but 

 those I have come in contact with are certainly not so, as a picture 

 taken of the camp at 8 a.m. will show. I think hunger was the 

 principal inducement for them to get up. Within twenty yards 

 of our tent was the mound or nest of a Tallegalla, very pictur- 

 esquely situated at the foot of a big Kauri Pine and a palm, but 

 the birds had not yet commenced laying in it. Several other 

 mounds were found in the neighbourhood, and the natives going 

 out soon brought back a supply of eggs, and also a Bennett's 

 Tree Kangaroo they had shot. Before cooking it they beat it with 

 the back of a tomahawk and broke most of its bones, especially 

 the legs and arms. They then threw it on the fire as it was, and 

 singeing off the hair, left it for a short time on the fire. They then 

 opened it and removed the entrails, which were thrown away, but 

 the paunch, being emptied, was not wasted, and, with the liver, 

 was placed on the fire to cook. The hind feet and the tail were 

 next cut off and placed on the fire. The rest of the body was then 

 placed on its back on a previously prepared fire, which when first 

 made up had a lot of stones placed on it and when the fire had 

 burned down, and the stones nearly red-hot, a place on them was 

 scraped out on which to place the kangaroo, the upper surface 

 of the meat being also covered with the heated stones; it was then 

 left until cooked. When the amount to be cooked is small it is 

 often covered with green leaves, which help to keep the steam 

 and heat in and cook the meat more quickly. When the feet 

 were sufficiently cooked they pulled off the bare skin of the 

 cushion and breaking the toes one by one, eat the flesh and fat 

 that may be there. The tail they cut off bit by bit at the joints 

 and eat what they can get. When the wallaby is sufficiently 

 cooked they cut it up and divide it between them. What they 



