shelter while travelling, and have a large open side, with the fire in front. In 

 fine warm weather, a few green bushes, placed in a half circle to windward of the 

 fire, suffice for a temporary dwelling. 



The men share the labour of making the permanent dwelling, but the 

 women are compelled to eiect the smaller ones. Small weapons and personal 

 property are taken inside the habitations; but as it would be inconvenient to have 

 long spears there, they are stuck on end at each side of the doorway, to be at 

 hand and ready for an attack. 



In some parts of the country where it is easier to get stones than wood and 

 bark for dwellings, the walls are built of flat stones, and roofed with limbs and 

 thatch. A stony point of land on the south side of a lake near Camperdown is 

 called ' karm karm,' which mean.s ' building of stones,' but no marks or remains 

 are now to be seen indicating the former existence of a building there. 



These permanent residences being proof against all kinds of weather, from 

 excessive heat in summer to frost in winter, suit the constitutions of the 

 aborigines very much better than the wooden cottages used at the Government 

 aboriginal stations. In cold weather a fire is kept burning day and night in the 

 centre of the floor ; and, the habitations being easily heated, a very small one 

 suffices. To keep up a moderate, steady temperature, the ends only of the 

 sticks meet in the centre of the fire, and, as they burn slowly away, are pushed 

 inwards. Any other method would be a waste of fuel, and would raise too 

 much heat. 



In the event of the habitation being burned down by a bush fire, or 

 accidentally — which often occurs in the absence of the inhabitants — the debris 

 are levelled, and a new wuurn erected on the same spot, which is always 

 preferred ; but, in other circumstances hei'eaf ter described under the head of 

 native mounds, the spot is abandoned for ever as a place of residence. 



