1837.] Account of the New Colony of Western Australia. 323 



They have their doctors (bulgal) who attempt their cures by charms. 

 On one occasion I witnessed the remedies applied for a sick child : the 

 doctor inhaled the perfume of different plants, and then breathed into 

 the mouth of the child; this was repeated several times ; he also sat 

 on the haunches like a monkey, and grinned most hideously at the 

 child, jumping about occasionally, and repeating the grimace ; he 

 likewise rubbed his hand over the chest and stomach repeatedly , and 

 snapped his ringers in the air. A native was one day writhing with 

 pain on the ground in the barrack square ; the bulgal approached him, 

 and, with a piece of glass, cut from the angle to the symphisis of the 

 chin on the right side. On looking into his mouth afterwards, to as- 

 certain his disease, I saw a hollow tooth in the opposite side. 



The diseases which they are chiefly subject to, are dysentry, opthal- 

 mia, catarrh and rheumatism, and these occur but seldom. Their poor 

 diet, want of clothing, and the miserable huts they dwell in, will 

 readily account for their suffering from vicissitudes of the weather 

 which give rise to these diseases. It is only surprising that they are 

 so remarkably healthy.* 



Previous to entering upon a description of the weather, I shall first 

 offer a few remarks on the topography of the town of Perth, where 

 these observations were made. 



Perth, the seat of government, is situated on the northern bank of 

 the Swan river, eleven miles from Freemantle, on a gentle elevation, 

 thirty feet above the level of the river, and about forty above the sea. 

 It is bounded to the south by the Swan river, which U three quarters 

 of a mile broad opposite the town ; to the north by a string of fresh 

 water lagoons, which are continuous up to the mountains ; to the 

 east by an extensive plain terminating at the Darling range of mountains 

 twenty miles distant ; and to the west by mount Eliya, which, running 

 north and south, affords considerable protection from the strong gales 

 coming from the north west and south west. The Swan and Canning 

 rivers unite immediately below the town in a large estuary, called 

 Melville water : this fine expanse of the meeting of the waters much 

 resembles two large lakes running into each other. The sea breeze in 

 reaching the town is further cooled down during the hot weather by 

 crossing these waters. The soil is light, dry and sandy, with the ex- 

 ception of the banks of the river, which is alluvial. The substratum 



* For a full account of the natives of King George's Sound, see in Geographical Journal 

 and King's Australia. 



