14 
HORN EXPEDITION—ANTHROPOLOGY 
tribe, which occupy the country traversed by the water-course of the Barcoo or 
Cooper.* 
Native Population. 
The nomadic habits of the natives, the comparatively large area so sparsely 
settled that no regular oversight can be maintained, the wide extent of the still 
unexplored territory, and the unfriendly, if not actually hostile, character of the 
tribes in some parts, make it difficult to give an estimate of their numbers in 
Central Australia even with approximate accuracy. 
Taking the whole of Central South Australia which, for statistical purposes, 
we will consider to extend from the southern boundary of the Northern Territory 
of South Australia in latitude 26° S., to a line drawn from east to west along the 
17th parallel or a little south of Daly Waters Telegraph Station in the north, 
the last census of 1891 shows a total native population for the included area of 
2457, a very small number when compared with the immense extent of country 
comprised within the above limits. This estimate is no doubt reliable in the sense 
that, at least, this number of natives did actually exist at that time for, so far, 
the returns are the result of actual enumeration. 
There were, however, no doubt many others in addition belonging to outlying 
regions, either unexplored or at least not frequently visited, which escaped 
enumeration, but the number of these, within the limits just stated, is probably not 
relatively great, as the whereabouts and numbers of any large body of natives are 
generally pretty well-known; there has been also an increasing tendency in recent 
years for the natives to congregate in the neighbourhood of settlement, where they 
can be observed. 
For this region, then, the census estimate may be regarded as probably not 
greatly under the mark. It is otherwise when the returns from the territory north 
of latitude 17° is considered, for the census subdivisions included in this comprise 
the more populous tribes about the western and south-western shores of the Gulf 
of Carpentaria and along the Victoria and Fitzmaurice Rivers, in both of which 
* Ill the course of this paper I shall more than once refer to the tribe of the country now occupied by the 
Peake Station. Mr. Kempe, who has for many years lieen manager of that station, which lies to the west of Lake 
Eyre, informs me that the name of this tribe is Arrabunna. This does not accord with Mr. Ilowitt's map which 
places tile Urapfina (doubtless the same tribe), to tlie north of the Lake and beyond the Peake country'. As I can 
hardly believe that my informant, who is an intelligent observer, can have been mistaken in the name of the tribe 
at ills doors, I shall use the name he supplies. It is, however, an exceedingly difficult matter to define tribal 
boundaries, especially where intermingling has taken place. 
