JSTEALIA. 491 



" Coombaiiee " was a word which meant to roast or fry, 

 that is, to expose the object to the direct influence of the fire ; 

 but if the object was to bake the joint, the word " Caanyanee " 

 was used. Their mode of baking a duck, pigeon, or particularly 

 a turkey-buzzard produced highly satisfactory results. The turkey, 

 for instance, was enclosed in a thick coating of clay, no feathers 

 were taken oif ; it was placed in hot ashes, covered with a layer 

 of coals, and when cooked it was taken out ; the feathers would 

 adhere to the clay leaving the fowl deliciously clean and appetizing. 



When hunting on a large scale, they would make nets about 

 five or six feet wide and perhaps forty or fifty yards long with 

 large meshes ; the material used was a kind of native flax, which 

 grew abundantly on the Murray and in such swamps as existed 

 between Port Adelaide and Holdfast Bay. These nets were fixed 

 in a semi-circular form in a suitable opening in the scrub where 



were stationed near the nets to kill the animals as they were- 

 caught, after being driven to that point by the other members of 

 the tribe. Such game, with emus, abounded on the plains and in 

 the smaller scrub from a little north of the Torrens to the 

 Wakefie'd. The result would be a huge tribal feast or gorge 

 lasting for several days. Instances were frequent where those 

 who were uncomfortably full— and that meant an extraordinary 

 distension of the stomach — mutual help would be given and 

 received for the purpose of obtaining relief. One distended native 

 would lie down on his back or stomach while another would roll 

 him from side to side, then mounting the prostrate form would 



Although the natives wore extremely fond of dogs, and they 

 soon ()l>tained large numliers of poor mongrel and mangy 

 descendants of those that had Ijeen imported by the Europeans, 

 I do not remember a sinde instance of their training a dingo or 



things which they caught were for purposf 

 r with the white-man. Their ornaments wer 

 ve description and for temporary use oidy. 1 

 feathers of the white or pink cockatoo. This 

 til very little trouble they could have prodi 

 ments with the varied and brilliant plumar; 

 idly coloured parrots which in countless num 

 if forests and on the plains. In cases of ill 

 ithout simi)le means of cure. Emu oil was i 

 eiuiiatic nature ; and for sore eyes or sandy 1)1 

 ifvives were an infallible remedy, applied i 



