358 
DREAD OF COMETS. 
ever induced to go singly from one station to another, 
a mile or two distant, after night-fall. Notwith- 
standing this dread of they don’t know exactly what, 
the natives do not let their fears prevent them 
moving about after dark, if any object is to be 
gained, or if several of them are together. By 
moonlight they are in the habit of travelling from 
one place to another, as well as of going out to hunt 
opossums. 
Anything that is extraordinary or unusual, is a 
subject of great dread to the natives : of this I had 
a singular instance at Moorunde. In March, 1843, 
I had a little boy living with me by his father’s 
permission, whilst the old man went up the river 
with the other natives to hunt and fish. On the 
evening of the 2nd of March a large comet was 
visible to the westward, and became brighter and 
more distinct every succeeding night. On the 5th 
I had a visit from the father of the little boy who 
was living with me, to demand his son ; he had 
come down the river post haste for that purpose, as 
soon as he saw the comet, which he assured me was 
the harbinger of all kinds of calamities, and more 
especially to the white people. It was to overthrow 
Adelaide, destroy all Europeans and their houses, 
and then taking a course up the Murray, and past 
the Rufus, do irreparable damage to whatever or 
whoever came in its way. It was sent, he said, by 
the northern natives, who were powerful sorcerers, 
and to revenge the confinement of one of the prin- 
