660 



as the next highest content, gives the stone, in several respects, 

 a character in the direction of meerschaum, but it contains 

 less magnesia, is less compact, and has probably had a 

 different origin than the last-named mineral. Like most 

 diatomaceous earths it is very light and, when dry, floats on 

 water ; but when the air is expelled by boiling, it sinks. To 

 find its way to Lord Howe Island the bed must have been, in 

 the first place, raised above sea-level, then desiccated to dry- 

 ness and operated on by the waves, so that detached pieces 

 could be carried away by the sea currents. 



Native Legend on the Origin of Orion's Belt. 



Narrung is bordering the shores of Lake Alexandria and 

 opposite to Milang township, distant therefrom about 16 miles 

 east-south-east. 



Recently, while visiting Narrung, the following legend 

 was communicated to me by Mr. G. Hackett, a resident of the 

 district for sixty years, and well known as the manager of 

 Narrung Station. The legend struck me as worthy of record, 

 because in classical mythology Orion was a hunter slain by 

 Artemis for making love to Eos ; Orion then became a con- 

 stellation. 



We were driving in the beautiful moonlight, and the 

 hour was shortly after midnight. On our right were numerous 

 lagoons — some about a chain square, others eight or ten chains 

 long and several in breadth. There were two low hills, one 

 on our right and the other at some distance on our left. On 

 the hill to the right there once dwelt a mighty hunter named 

 Wyangaure, who occupied his days in pursuit of the kan- 

 garoos, emus, and other game which in those days were 

 gigantic in size. It was the custom of this hunter to skin 

 his game and peg out on the plain the skins of kangaroos, 

 emus, wild turkeys, etc. So mighty were the animals of 

 those far-off days that their weighty skins lying on the ground 

 made the depressions which, filled with water, we now see as 

 lagoons. On the hill away to the left lived Nurundie, the 

 "great man" of the blacks — the all-powerful. He dwelt with 

 his two wives and lived by hunting, but was not so successful 

 in the chase as was Wyangaure, the mighty hunter. In due 

 course Wyangaure, who was but a youth, underwent the 

 rites" consequent upon being made "a young man." He was 

 under oath and severe penalties not to speak to any woman. 

 One day he returned from a hunting trip loaded with game. 



