240 KING George's aouNU. 



others that they saw petrified trees, standing in the 

 position in which they had grown. According to 

 our view, the beds have been formed by the wind 

 having heaped up fine sand, composed of miimte 

 rounded particles of shells and corals, during which 

 process branches and roots of trees, together with 

 many land-shells, became enclosed. The whole 

 then became consolidated by the percolation of cal- 

 careous matter ; and the cylindrical cavities left by 

 the decaying of the wood were thus also filled up 

 with a hard pseudo-stalactitical stone. The weath- 

 er is now wearing away the softer parts, and, in con- 

 secjuence, the hard casts of the roots and branches 

 of the trees project above the surface, and in a sin- 

 gularly deceptive manner resemble the stumps of 

 a dead thicket. 



A large tribe of natives, called the White Cock- 

 atoo men, happened to pay the settlement a visit 

 while wo were there. These men, as well as those 

 of the tribe belonging to King George's Sound, 

 being tempted by the offer of some tubs of rice and 

 sugar, were persuaded to hold a " corrobery," or 

 great dancing party. As soon as it grew dark, 

 small fires were lighted, and the men commenced 

 their toilet, which consisted in painting themselves 

 white in spots and lines. As soon as all was ready, 

 large fires wore kept blazing, round which the wom- 

 en and children were collected as spectators ; the 

 Cockatoo and King George's men formed two dis- 

 tinct parties, and generally danced in answer to 

 each other. The dancing consisted in their running 

 either sideways or in Indian file into an open space, 

 and stamping the ground with great force as they 

 marched together. Their heavy footsteps were ac- 

 companied by a kind of grunt, by beating their clubs 

 and spears together, and by various other gesticu- 

 lations, such as extending their arms and wriggling 



