\i\ ANTHROPOLOGH1AJL CONSIDEKATIONS OF QDKENKLAND. 



land : in others are observations of naore or less importance, 

 and it is with these alone that we have now to occupy our- 

 selves. 



King's Narrative of a Survey c)f the Coasts of Australia 

 (65) does not greatly concern us. King speaks of the 

 natives as Indians and of their invariable hostility until 

 confidence was obtained. The following points are of 

 value : (a) Reference to ovens similar to those used by the 

 natives of Tahiti are recorded from the neighbourhood of 

 Rockingham Bay (page 203). A circular hole is dug ; 

 at the bottom a layer of stones is placed, and as soon as 

 these have been sufficiently heated by fire the meat is placed 

 thereon. Tliis is then covered by another layer of stones 

 and over these they make another fire which very soon 

 cooks their food. The native by this method shows an 

 ingenuity which is somewhat unusual*. (6). At the 

 Endeavour River (p. 213) were seen ovens of a similar 

 nature to those used at Goold Islands. King's description 

 of the Goold Islands canoe is also of interest ; the type 

 still prevails. I am informed by Banfield that several 

 have been made at the Hull River Settlement within the 

 past two years. 



E. J. Eyre in his Expedition of Discovery into Central 

 Australia (27) makes an interesting note on the rite of 

 circumcision practised in the vicinity of the Gulf of Carpen- 

 taria. Here he expresses the opinion that the practice 

 spread from the North West Coast of Queensland in a 

 .south-easterly direction, and that the tribes appear early 

 to have abandoned it, but to have retained amongst some 

 of their branches the practice of knocking out the front 

 teeth of the upper jaw. In another part he foresees the 

 extinction of the Australian Race, and time is proving 

 that his prediction was founded on pensonal observation 

 and sound common sense. 



Between the years 1842 and 1846 H.M.S. " Fly,' 

 under the leadership of Jukes (63), visited our coasts on ite 

 surveying voyage. The narrative does not contain a great 

 deal of matter having affinity with our subject, but tiu're 



♦Similar ovens to those describt d by King are in use in North Queens- 

 I;i.ni) (" this day. Turtlf. dugnng and hii^ fi^h are cooked in them. 



