356 
RELIGIOUS IDEAS. 
me that different tribes give a different account of 
their belief, but all generally so absurd, so vague, 
unsatisfactory, and contradictory, that it is impossible 
at present to say with any certainty what they really 
believe, or whether they have any independent be- 
lief at all. Mr. Moorhouse, who has taken great 
pains in his inquiries among the natives around 
Adelaide upon questions of this nature, states that 
they believe in a Soul or Spirit (itpitukutya), separate 
and distinct altogether from the body, which at 
death goes to the west, to a large pit, where the 
souls of all men go. When all are dead, the souls 
will return to their former place of residence, go to 
the graves of their forsaken bodies, and inquire, are 
these the bodies that we formerly inhabited ? The 
bodies will reply, “ we are not dead, but still living.” 
The souls and bodies will not be re-united ; the 
former will live in trees during the day, and at night 
alight on the ground, and eat grubs, lizards, frogs, 
and kangaroo rats, but not vegetable food of any 
description. The souls are never again to die, but 
will remain about the size of a boy eight years old. • 
The account given me by some of the natives of 
the Murray of the origin of the creation, is, that there 
are four individuals living up among the clouds, 
called Nooreele, a father and his three male children, 
but there is no mother. The father is all-powerful, 
and of benevolent character. He made the earth, 
trees, waters, &c., gave names to every thing and 
place, placed the natives in their different districts, 
