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advised us to take a pannikin of water, and dipping a barrit- 

 bone into it, to drop the water from its point along the garden 

 fence. He assured us that then no black man would dare go 

 over that fence. I felt half sorry that we could not lend our- 

 selves to this superstition. A few miles from where we live, and 

 not far from the river, there is a hill called, in Mulluk-mulluk, 

 alalk-yinga ; in the Hermit-hill language, ve.rak-yinda, i.e., the 

 place of the children. The natives believe that the souls of 

 future children — or perhaps the children, bodies and souls^ — -are 

 shut up there. They are under the care of one old man. He has 

 to see that they do not escape, and to supply them with water. 

 This he does by means of an underground communication with 

 the river about a mile away. The range, of which the hill in 

 question is the last one, runs right to the river. When a child 

 is to be born, this old man sees to the business. Laughing once 

 over this matter, I said to a young man, " Well, if all this be 

 true, you were once in the hill yourself?" " O, yes," he 

 answered. " What sort of a place is it, then ? You should 

 know." "Ah ! too much long time : me been lose'm," i.e., I 

 have forgotten. 



Strange stories are connected with the stars and constellations. 

 They sometimes group the lixed stars as we do ; often otherwise. 

 The Pleiades are children who ran away from their tribe, and got 

 lixed for ever in their 2:)resent position. Every group seems to 

 have its story. The sun returns to his eastern position by a route, 

 so far to the south, that we cannot see him. 



Each tribe has its own territory, and even within the tribe 

 groups of famdies have their special headquarters. Men are 

 supposed to supply the animal food, women the vegetable. The 

 lotns, or large red water-lily, is very abundant, and during several 

 months of the year they live entirely upon its roots. The seeds 

 also of this beautiful plant are highly prized. They are similar 

 in taste to green hazel-nuts. Pickled in brine we too very much 

 appreciate them. Even the stems of this lily at certain stages are 

 eaten, and taste, as they look, like rough celery. The large 

 leaves form wrappers for various purposes. 



These tribes go absolutely naked. The folds of the ubiquitous 

 paper-bark give them blankets when they require them, roofs for 

 their rude huts, dishes for their meat, tinder for their fire (pro- 

 ducing) sticks, and receptacles wherein to carry very young- 

 babies. 1 have found that this paper-bark is enormously rich in 

 gas, so much so that had we the necessary appliances we might 

 with profit employ it to light up our " Reduction."' 



I just mentioned very young babies. In a very short time the 

 little ones learn to ride, even asleep, on their parents' shoulders, 

 their feet dangling in front. They never fall : indeed, there 



