
ABORIGINES OF THE SOUTH-EAST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA 451 
overlying that, is a bed of seaweed still undecayed, but perfectly purged of 
the saline character it must have possessed before it was wrested from the 
ocean by the upheaval of the Woakwine range.... The nearest approach 
elsewhere to this prolific deposit is found invariably on the western sides of 
the flats just under the ridges where the water has lain longer,”’ 
(p. 61). ‘‘Tt may be sai to be the prevailing feature of the flats that wherever 
they exceed one or two miles in width between the ridges they are thickly 
studded with ‘islands’, as I may call them, varying from one or two to one or 
two hundred acres in extent. These islands are of precisely the same character 
as the adjacent ridges, except, perhaps, that their elevation is not always so 
great. But they have the same description of soil—a light red loam, inter- 
mixed with shell sandstone or limestone—and. the same varieties of timber— 
chiefly she-oak and honeysuckle—as are found on the ridges, There are also 
gums and blackwood scattered about, so that the stone for building, and 
wood for either building, fencing, or domestic purposes can be easily 
obtained, ...7’ 
(p. 61), “*,.., 80 long as the flats were subject to yearly inundation, and con- 
sequently valueless to the farmer, the narrow ridges intersecting them, in 
themselves too stony to be ploughed, could only possess a nominal because 
uncontested value to the State, derived of course from the graziers who 
monopolized them, ,,.’ 
(Re Mt, Muirhead, p. 67), ‘'.,..It is quite destitute of timber, and being of 
a considerable height forms a conspicuous landmark from all parts of the 
fiat to the coast; its plain, but. verdant surface, presenting a strong contrast 
to the dismial hues of the serubby timber atiits foot... .’" 
(Mt, Graham, p. 68). ‘‘It presents on its summit and slopes a considerable area 
of good lightly timbered soil... , Residence and head station stand at a good 
elevation on its northern side, overlooking a wide extent of wet but wooded 
country, called of course the Mt. Graham Flats, extending to the Avenue Flat 
on the north and towards Penola on the north-east.’’ 
(p. 69). ‘From Mt. Graham towards Mt. Gambier the course lies along the 
foot of a stringy bark range to Mt. Burr, another prominent landmark, on 
which also 2 trig station is established.” 
Proud (1880) in a publication by the Register on the South-East gives the follow- 
ing account of the vegetation: ‘'.... between Robe and Avenue Railway 
Station country varies considerably in quality, as nearly all long stretches 
of land in the §8.BH. do.... grazing country; with stony ridges, covered with 
she-oak and light timber. Then there are swampy flats with swamp grass 
growing upon them, and clumps of a stunted stringy bark are seen further 
on.’? 
Foop Sources or THE ABORIGINES. 
One of the main parts of these studies waa to ascertain from reeorded 
information and observations made during our visits what were the likely foods 
and food sources of the aborigines in tha past. As indicated in previous remarks, 
the advantages of the district were many and varied, and in Part III of this 
paper a detailed account has been compiled by one of us (J. B.C.) of the possibile 
and likely food supplies of the natives. 
Water Supplies. Owing to a generous rainfall—average 29-5 in, per year 
—and lack of natural surface drainage, this territory was heavily watered, and 

