CH. v.] NATIVES AT THE CAMP, 109 



shade of a tree. At length, they ventured to walk about the 

 tents, and they then insisted on presenting their clubs and wam- 

 meras to our men. None of the names, which we had written 

 down from Barber's statements, seemed at all familiar to 

 their ears ; but Mr. White obtained a vocabulary, which 

 shewed that their language was nearly the same as that of 

 the aborigines at Wallamoul ; the only difference being the 

 addition of na to each noun, as " ?iamil" for " mil," the 

 eye, &c. They were much disposed to steal. Mr. White ob- 

 served one to purloin a tea-cup from his canteen, and conceal 

 it very cleverly in his kangaroo cloak. Another, notwith- 

 standing the vigilance of our men, had nearly got off with 

 the carpenter's axe. They looked rather foolish when Mr. 

 White managed to shake his tea-cup from the cloak. The 

 number of our party seemed an object of their attention, and 

 they explained, by pointing in the direction in which I had 

 gone, and by holding up seven fingers, our number, that we 

 had not gone down the river, unobserved by them. They 

 did not appear to be acquainted with the use of bread ; but 

 they well understood the purpose of the boat ; and when 

 Callide (the sea) was pronounced to them, they pointed in the 

 direction of Moreton Bay, repeating very frequently the 

 word " Wallingall." They immediately recognised Whiting, 

 the top-sawyer at the pit, as was obvious by their imitating, 

 as soon as he appeared, the motion of sawing, and pointing 

 at the same time to him. They seemed rather struck with 

 the thickness of his wrists ; indeed, they took some interest 

 in comparing their limbs with those of the party. One man 

 had hair and features very different from those of his com- 

 panions, the hair being parted on the forehead, long, and 

 not curled. A sailor of our party, thought he resembled a 

 Malay. On the discharge of a double barrel, they seemed 

 much terrified, and soon after retired, making signs that 

 they should return, and, by gestures, invited some of the 

 men to cross the river with them. Two tomahawks were 

 presented to them, and one of their number was dressed out 



