from
that left us by Captain Cook of the people with whom he had intercourse
to the northward (about Endeavour river) but also from that spoken by
those natives who lived at Port Stephens, and to the southward of Botany
Bay (about Adventure Bay), as well as on the banks of the Hawkesbury. We
often heard, that people from the northward had been met with, who could
not be exactly understood by our friends; but this is not so wonderful as
that people living at the distance of only fifty or sixty miles should
call the sun and moon by different names; such, however, was the fact.
In an excursion to the banks of the Hawkesbury, accompanied by two Sydney
natives, we first discovered this difference; but our companions
conversed with the river natives without any apparent difficulty, each
understanding or comprehending the other.

We have often remarked a sensible difference on hearing the same word
sounded by two people; and, in fact, they have been observed sometimes to
differ from themselves, substituting often the letter _b_ for _p_, and
_g_ for _c_, and _vice versa_. In their alphabet they have neither _s_
nor _v_; and some of their letters would require a new character to
ascertain them precisely.

What follows is offered only as a specimen, not as a perfect vocabulary
of their language.

NEW SOUTH WALES ENGLISH
--------------- -------

NAMES CHIEFLY OF OBJECTS OF SENSE

Co-ing The sun
Yen-na-dah The moon
Bir-rong A star
Mo-loo-mo-long The Pleiades
War-re-wull The Milky Way
Ca-ra-go-ro A cloud
Boo-do-en-ong
general name
Cal-gal-le-on The Magellanic
the greater clouds
Gnar-rang-al-le-on
the lesser
Tu-ru-p A star falling
Co-ing bi-bo-ba Sun-rising
Bour-ra The sky
Co-ing bur-re-goo-lah Sun-setting
Gnoo-wing Night
Carn-mar-roo
Tar-re-ber-re Day
Gwe-yong Fire
Cad-jee Smoke
Gil-le A spark
Per-mul Earth
Ta-go-ra Cold
Yoo-roo-ga Heat
Men-nie-no-long Dew
Pan-na, and Wal-lan Rain
Ba-do Water
Chi-a-ra Name
Car-rig-er-rang The sea
Go-nie A hut
Now-ey A canoe
Beng-al-le A basket
Car-rah-jun A fishing-