212 
FRIENDLY NATIVES. 
Having completed my arrangements, I sent on the 
Waterwitch to the north-east part of Denial Bay, to 
land water there, as I did not expect to get any until 
our arrival at Point Peter. Mr. Scott accompanied 
the cutter, having expressed a wish to take a trip in 
her for a few days. 
During the forenoon we were visited by a party 
of natives, who came to get water at the hole in the 
sand. They were not much alarmed, and soon 
became very friendly, remaining near us all night ; 
from them I learned that there was no water in- 
land, and none along the coast for two days’ jour- 
ney, after which we should come to plenty, at a 
place called by them “Beellmah Gaip-pe.” Their 
language was nearly the same as that of Port Lin- 
coln, intermixed with a few words in use at King 
George’s Sound, and I now regretted greatly that I 
had not the Western Australian native with me. 
I found a most singular custom prevailing among 
the natives of this part of the country, which I had 
never found to exist anywhere else (except at Port 
Lincoln), and the origin of which it would be most 
difficult to account for. In various parts of Aus- 
tralia some of the tribes practise the rite of circum- 
cision, whilst others do not; but in the Port Lincoln 
peninsula, and along the coast to the westward, 
the natives not only are circumcised, but have in 
addition another most extraordinary ceremonial.* 
Finclitus usque ad urethram a parte infer& penis. 
