374 
NUMBERS. 
2 issues in 1841 the average attendance were 52 men, women, and 
12 „ 
1842 
>» 
94 
[children 
10 „ 
1843 
136 
9 „ 
1844 
„ 
171 
yy 
Occasionally nearly 500 natives have been present 
at these monthly issues of flour, and the reason that 
the average attendance is not greater, is, that im- 
mediately after collecting at Moorunde, at the full 
of the moon, to receive their flour, from 100 to 300 
would usually set off to Adelaide, where there are 
so many objects of interest and attraction, and re- 
remain there for several months at a time, and 
especially during the winter. As fast, too, as one 
party returned to their own districts, another would 
go into town, and thus the average number would 
be constantly kept down. *A third reason why the 
musters do not appear so large as they otherwise 
would, is that many of the more distant natives 
come down at other times than the full moon, and I 
have then been obliged to deviate from my usual 
custom, and issue flour to them at the periods when 
they arrived. The number of natives attending such 
extraordinary issues do not appear in the periodical 
returns. 
In endeavouring to estimate the numbers and 
proportions of the sexes, and children, almost as 
great a difficulty exists as in that of obtaining their 
aggregate numbers. This arises from the fact of 
the more distant tribes who visit Europeans stations, 
frequently leaving their younger wives, or little 
