ABORIGINES OF TASMANIA. 179 



many of the native hunting-grounds had been invaded 

 by the whites, and the original tribal organisation had 

 consequently been much disturbed, it is probable that 

 the number of tribes was originally greater. As we 

 have seen, Milligan conjecturally puts the number at 

 twenty. Although Robinson dignifies the tribes with 

 the name of " nations," they were known to the settlers 

 by the designation of " mobs." This conveys a more 

 correct idea of their numerical strength, which in many 

 tribes was as low as 30, and probably in no case 

 exceeded 200, or at most 250. 



These " mobs " or sub-tribes group themselves into 

 several broad divisions, more properly deserving the 

 name of " tribes." In these larger divisions separate 

 languages or dialects were spoken, the vocabularies of 

 which were widely different, as appears from Milligan's 

 Vocabulary. Minor differences of dialect must have 

 been numerous, for Robert Clark, the catechist, states 

 that on his arrival at the Flinders' Settlement in 1834, 

 eight or ten different languages or dialects were spoken 

 amongst the 200 natives then at the establishment, and 

 that the blacks were " instructing each other to speak 

 their respective tongues." 



Robinson, as already cited, says that there were four 

 main languages. Of these Milligan gives us the vocabu- 

 laries of three ; viz. : — (1) South ; (2) West and North- 

 West ; and (3) East Coast. To these we may add (4) 

 North-East tribes. 



We may now proceed to consider these four main 

 groups more in detail. 



1. Southern Tribes. 



" Tribes about Mount Royal, Brune Island, Recherche 



Bay, and the South of Tasmania." — Milligan s 



Vocabulary. 



These tribes occupied both shores of D'Entrecasteaux 

 Channel and the coast of the mainland as far as South 

 Cape. The French voyagers in 1792, and again in 1802, 

 had opportunities of observing these natives in their 

 primitive state. They found them friendly and well- 

 disposed. Labillardiere and Peron have preserved many 

 interesting particulars respecting them. In the more 



