j 79 6.] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 355 



gines of the country) ; and when they died, they returned to the clouds 

 (Boo-row-e). He feemed defirous to make it underfiood that they 

 afcended in the fhape of little children, firft hovering in the tops and 

 in the branches of trees ; and mentioned fbmething about eating (in 

 that ftate) their favourite food, little fillies. 



If this idea of the immortality of the foul mould excite a fmile, let 

 the mocker afk bimfelf, if k be more ridiculous than the belief which 

 many among us entertain, that at the lad day the various disjointed 

 bones of men (hall find out each its proper owner, and be re-united ; 

 the favage here treads clofe upon the footfteps of the Chriftian. 



The young natives who refided at Sydney were very defirous of 

 going to church on Sunday, but knew not for what purpofe any one 

 attended. They were often feen to take a book, and with much fuc- 

 cefs imitate the clergyman in his manner (indeed, better or readier 

 mimics can no where be found], laughing and enjoying the applaufe 

 which they received. 



An account has appeared in a pamphlet, or a newfpaper, of a native 

 throwing himfelf in the way of a man who was about to moot a crow ; 

 and the perfon who wrote the account drew an inference, that the 

 bird was an object of worfhip ; but it can be with confidence af- 

 firmed, that, fo far from dreading to fee a crow killed, they are very 

 fond of eating their flefh, and take the following particular method to 

 enfnare that bird : a native will ftretch himfelf on a rock, as if afleep 

 in the fun, holding a piece of fifh in his hand ; the bird, be it hawk 

 ©r crow, feeing the prey, and not obferving any motion in the native, 

 pounces on the fi(h ; and in the inftant of feizing it is caught by the 

 favage, who foon throws it on the fire, and makes a meal, that, for en- 

 joyment, might be envied by an epicure. 



That they have ideas of a diftin&ion between good and bad, is evi- 

 dent from their having terms in their language fignificant of thefe 

 qualities. Thus, the fting-ray was (wee-re) bad; it was a fifh of which 

 they never ate. The patta- go-rang or kangooroo was (bood-yer-re) 

 good, and they were very fond of it. 



z z 2 To 



