299 



fore, either mean friend or is the name of a friendly tribe or 

 family. T could not get at the correct meaning of it. 



'2Qth July (Gamp 27, Skirmish Hill). — The doctor and Mr. 

 Lindsay yesterday met an old black and his wife, who were 

 greatly excited at the sight of them and the camels. They seemed 

 to belong to a different tribe, but knew the word " kapi." Be- 

 .sides several pieces of game in their possession they had collected 

 a good deal of " Kurrajong " seed, which they had roasted for 

 food. These roasted seeds have a very pleasant nut-like taste. 



'Uth July. — Near the waterhole I noticed two skulls of dingoes 

 and some bones, broken and whole, of the same animal, which 

 prove that these animals were eaten by the blacks. 



bth August (Camp 33, Barrow Range). — This afternoon nine 

 natives came to the rockhole to have a drink and afterwards de- 

 livered a harangue from the rocks, which I translated to mean 

 that they objected to our stopping there and drinking up all the 

 water. 



Qth August. — Messrs. Lindsay and Streich went over to some 

 rocks about half-a-mile to the north, where some natives had been 

 seen and found six of them there. They would not give any 

 information about water and behaved very excitedly, probably 

 to protest against their supply of water and game being appro- 

 priated by us. A good number of rock-wallabies were found 

 about the hills close to the camp, and flocks of parrots and 

 pigeons came regularly mornings and evenings to the water. 

 A great many depressions ground on to the flat rocks near it, 

 and a number of grindstones, indicated that this place was a 

 much frequented camping-place of the aborigines. 



28«/i. August (Camp 35, near Mount Squires). — During the 

 forenoon eight blacks came near the camp, and after prolonged 

 inducements they allowed themselves to be approached. They 

 were, with one exception, all tall fellows and of good physique. 

 One in particular, a young fellow, was well shaped and quite six 

 feet high. The smallest was about five feet four inches, and the 

 others between five feet seven to five feet eight inches. All of 

 them had their faces more or lest painted with white pipeclay, in 

 some instances having rubbed it all over. The markings on the 

 chest and belly, made with the same stuff, were in some cases of 

 a symmetrical design that set their figures off to advantage. 



29</t August. — The blacks came back this forenoon and re- 

 ceived a large parcel of salt meat. There were ten of them this 

 time, but they were still very shy and made off with the meat 

 almost as soon as they had taken possession of it. However, 

 they expressed their satisfaction with the present received, after 

 they had retired about a hundred to a hundred and fifty yards. 

 They lifted both their hands above their heads and stretching 



