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Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
called Marowa'it, constitute their chief vegetable diet. The yams 
overspread the whole face of the country. Their manner is calm 
and dignified. They paint themselves on great occasions from 
head to foot, with a kind of red ochre, and hang before them 
tassels made of the fur of the opossum. The women wear an 
apron of matting, about two feet deep and three feet wide, thus 
evincing a sense of decency not common among the aborigines of 
Australia. Their weapons are spears and darts, headed with 
lozenge-shaped pieces of quartz, or slate, very regularly formed. 
The Womera, or throwing-stick, is also used by them, and is 0 f 
great length. Their hair, which is fine, is adorned with parrots’ 
feathers or opossums’ fur, and makes a very neat appearance. 
They are treated with great deference and attention by the coast 
natives. Mr. Earl looks upon these people as a kind of mixed 
race between the Polynesian and the aborigines, who much 
resemble the Papuas of New Guinea. The memoir then goes 
back to the Jalakuru tribe, which, though occasionally residing 
on the coast, generally occupies the uplands near the termination 
of the hill range of the Cobourg Peninsula. This tract of countrv 
is called Merkilellal. It is open and fertile, and is traversed by a 
chain of small lakes. The wild yam is very abundant. The 
natives are hospitable, and through their means a favourable 
intercourse may be established with the tribes in their neighbour¬ 
hood, as they are very willing to accompany exploring parties. 
The tribe or tribes of the Goulburn Islands do not differ materially 
from those of the Cobourg Peninsula. In personal appearance 
they rather resemble the Crokcr Island natives, and are a fickle 
and vindictive race. They are very troublesome to the Trepang 
fishers. No information could be obtained by Mr. Earl about 
the distribution of tribes upon the coast between Goulburn 
Islands and the northernmost horn of the Gulf of Carpentaria. 
It seems the people here reside generally in the uplands, and only 
come down to the coast to barter with the Trepang fishers. The 
people of Arnliara Bay are described as numerous and powerful, 
and very formidable when hostile, so say the Macassars. They 
are remarkable for their bulky forms and fine chests ; their lower 
extremities, however, are not well formed, having the curved shin : 
