the branches spread into a beautiful dome-shaped top. The climb- 

 ing rope is called into requisition for the ascent which is a difficult 

 process, as the bark is flaky and jagged and the leaves prickly- 

 pointed. The matured cones as large as pumpkins fall to the 

 ground with a tremendous thud, on which occasions provision is 

 had by picking it off the ground. About the same neighbourhood 

 and probably elsewhere if obtainable, the core of the top of a sort 

 of Cabbage Palm forms a very juicy palatable food. Tlie ' Xardu ' 

 grass-seed of New South Wales has been mentioned above, it is 

 pounded and eaten without separating the husk. 



Along the marshy grounds of the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan 

 Rivers a plant grows profusely which is locally known as " Com- 

 bungie ' or ' Wangle.' The plants attain a height of seven or 

 eight feet. They have a tap-root a foot or eighteen inches in 

 length. These roots used to be pulled up and collected by the 

 women of a small community. An excavation of circular outline 

 was made in the ground, averaging three to four feet deep and 



CO twenty teet across. Half a ton of roots might be gatne 

 irge oven and placed in the centre on a great pile of 

 On the surface were strewn layers of long grass and li 



sticks. Then the combustibles were kindled and the excavatf 

 earth returned as a covering, The time required for cookir 

 depended upon the size of the oven, and might be several day 

 When the ' Wangles' were thoroughly done, water was continuous 

 baled on to the oven until the whole mass was cooled. It w; 

 then opened and the food came out almost white as snow and n( 

 unlike parsnips or potatoes cooked.* 



This wholesale culinary operation was conducted i 

 style of )neat-roasting by the ovens that are so 



Victoria, where I have 



feet in diameter, with i 

 sides being rath 

 flattened by obvi 



in the following way. A rude paving having been laid, a & 

 quantity of stones and earth was heated by being heaped upon f 

 huge Are of wood. Then the fire was withdrawn, and the gam* 

 centre upon a layer of grass, mon 



• which the aborigines are specially su'' 



mlmonary complaints. These thoutrli aiiH 



itact with the whites, are prob 



Jr. Humphry Davy, Bah-anahi. 



