MEMOIR 2 9 
position as sub-protector of the aborigines has had a splendid chance of 
acquiring influence amongst them. They regard him as their man, and 
by means of the, perhaps under the circumstances, excusable device of 
calling myself his younger (tribal) brother, I was adopted as a member 
of the tribe and allowed to see everything. I have often thought that 
much of our work would be of interest to you, and so am venturing to 
write direct to you instead of through Mr. Fison.’ 
So we may imagine the two friends settling down to ex¬ 
plore patiently and thoroughly the recesses of the native 
mind, as obscure and tortuous as those of some prehistoric 
cavern. The following extract, though it refers to later work 
among the Urabunna, will yield some idea of their methods: 
4 We got into touch at once with half a dozen ancient natives and took 
them off to a retired spot where we made a camp. At this time of the 
year the weather is simply perfect—nothing but brilliant blue skies, 
more brilliant even than those of Italy, and lovely clear nights. I wish 
you could have been with us for a day or two. Our camp consisted of 
a brake of boughs to protect us from the cold wind at night, and on the 
leeward side of this we spread our rugs and slept out in the open with 
a good fire to keep our toes warm. The natives pitched their camp 
amongst some acacias close by, and I think they enjoyed themselves as 
much as we ditj. Every morning we had two or three hours with them, 
and then sent them off for a ramble amongst the hills. After that we 
had another hour or two with them, as you cannot safely work the 
savage brain for too long at a stretch. Then when evening came on 
we lit our fire, and the natives theirs, and Gillen and myself discussed 
matters over our pipes, and listened to the blackfellows singing away, 
as they always do at night, at their corrobboree songs, until we fell 
asleep.’ 
Working in this assiduous way, and on the best terms with 
the natives, they compile masses of information which in 
parts, as Spencer apologetically explains, might seem ‘de¬ 
cidedly tedious’. ‘On the other hand one can never feel sure 
that an apparently trivial fact may not be of service to some 
other worker; and, in addition, the very minuteness of the 
details seemed to be of interest and importance for the under- 
