] 10 Lectures on the Geology, Botany, SfC., of the 
little edible root, which was called “allamurr” by one, “murruatt” 
by another, and a still more different name by a third. 
The two black fellows, Brown and Charley, who accompanied 
me, were of coarse unable to understand even the first tribe of 
natives we met, and I am sure that variations of language exist all 
over the distant country we have seen, similar to those which are 
observed in the known parts of this colony. Language not 
fixed by literature is constantly and rapidly changing, and though 
1 feel satisfied that the Australian natives belong to one stock, I 
am equally sure that it would be in vain to trace the various 
dialects.to one root. 
The limited custom of circumcision is indeed exceedingly re¬ 
markable, and its appearance at the Gulf of Carpentaria, and at 
the south-coast of Australia, makes a migration of tribes very pro¬ 
bable. But could such a custom not be connected with endemic 
disorders, which have led the reasoning mind of man to the same 
preventive. 
When we see the Asiatic grinding the various cerealia to make 
a wholesome bread, and the native of the interior of Australia 
pounding one of its largest grass-seeds to make a cake, we do not 
think of a tradition of the custom from Asia to Australia, but we 
naturally conclude that our Maker has given to all races of men 
the same reasoning power, which will lead them, if not to the 
same, at least to analogous results. 
The same may be said of those rude traces of art, to which my 
attention was drawn by the Rev. Mr. Clarke and Mr. Mdes, as 
being found at Port Jackson, which were observed at Clack’s 
Island by Allan Cunningham, at the north-west coast by Captain 
Grey, and at Aruheim’s Land and the East Alligator River, by my 
party and myself. We saw the foot of an emu cut very carefully 
and accurately into the bark of a tree, and other fanciful forms 
which we could not understand. A turtle and fish were depicted 
very accurately with red ochre on a rock, in caves in which 
the natives were accustomed to paint themselves for corrobories. 
It is extremely interesting to compare these efforts of the Aus¬ 
tralian native with those of more advanced nations, and we are 
