180 Proceedings 



of the Europeans, or to an old blaniet, confessedly insiifficient to protect them 

 against cold and wet. Their mode of life has also materially altered: instead of gain- 

 ing a subsistence by the highly invigorating practice of hunting, as formerly, many 

 live amongst the settlers ; while others get a very precarious Uvelihood between 

 begging and stealing, eating dead stock, &c." 



His Escellency the President referred to the Secretary for information as to the 

 religious belief and notions generally on spu-itual matters of the aborigines of 

 Van Diemen's Land. 



Mr. Milhgan said he had ascertained that the Tasmanian aborigines, previous 

 to their intercourse with Eiu'opeans, distinctly entertained the idea of immortality 

 as regarded the soul or spirit of man : their legends proved also their beUef in a 

 host of malevolent spirits and mischievoiis goblins, whose abodes were caverns 

 and dark recesses of the dense forests, clefts in rocks on the naountain tops, &c., 

 and that they considered one or two spirits to be of omnipotent energy ; but that 

 they do not seem to have invested even these last with attributes of benevolence, 

 although they reposed unqualified trust in the tutelar agencies of the spudts of 

 their departed friends and relations. To these guardian spu'its they gave the 

 generic name "Warrawah," an aboriginal term, like the Latin word umbra, signi- 

 fying shade, shadow, ghost, or appai-ition. Mr. MUhgan stated that the dead 

 were variously disposed of by different tribes, — ^by some they were bm-nt, — by others 

 placed in various attitudes in hoUow trees and abandoned, — while by others dead 

 bodies were thrown into holes made by the casual uprooting of large trees, and 

 therein left, partially covered with rubbish, &c. 



The Secretary laid before the meeting an elaborate analysis of the relation 

 between Heat and the Constitution of Gases, by a resident in Melbourne, trans- 

 mitted by the author to the Society. 



The thanks of the meeting having been imanimously voted for the papers pro- 

 duced and the donations made to the Society, His Excellency the President left 

 the chair about ten o'clock, and the members separated soon after. 



12th JtTLT, 1854. — MontUy meeting. 



The members present were : — His Excellency Sir W. T. Denison, President, in 

 the chau-; Dr. Agnew, Dr. Butler, M.L.C., Dr. Hall, Dr. M'Carthy, Colonel Last, 

 Lieutenant Lochner, E.E., Messrs. Champ, Hone, E-. Butler, Gould, H. HuU, 

 D. T. Kilbiwn, Mac Naughtan, T. Moore, G. Makeig, Moss, Rolwegan, Vautin, 

 Whitcomb. 



The following gentlemen having been baUotted for were declared duly elected 

 Fellows of the Society : — Thomas Cruttenden, of Woodsden ; Joseph Ward, of 

 Fingal ; Malcolm Laing Smith, of Flinder's Island, Esquu-es. 



Tlie Secretary annoimced the receipt of Hiree Parts of the Journal of the Royal 



