new South wales. 23 



their canoe to catch fish while they sleep : thus 

 at once shewing their absolute power and indo- 

 lence. 



The kind submissive way in which they be- 

 have, on meeting any of our people armed, would 

 make any stranger think hiruself ^mong his 

 friends, but if he meets the sam^people^^hen: 

 without arms, he is nearly sure of being killed. 



They have some little knowledge of astro- 

 nomy, but of the form of the earth they have 

 none; and the sun they imagine returns by night 

 from the journey of the day. 



The respect they pay to old age, from what- 

 ever cause it may arise, is a credit to them, and 

 they carry this to a great height if the object 

 happens to be blind, for in that case nobody is 

 suffered to stand before him, and when rowed 

 in a canoe, the rower is obliged to sit behind 

 him. 



Taking them thus, " with all their imperfec- 

 tions on their heads," we have a right to presume 

 that when equally enlightened, they may be- 

 come equally possesed of those refined qualifica- 

 tions, which at present, render Europeans their 

 superiors. 



DRESS. 



The females at an early age wear a little 

 apron, made from the skin of the opposum, or 

 kangaroo cut into slips, and hanging a few 

 inches from the waist; this they wear till they 

 grow up and are taken by men, and then they 



