ns the strange food I had bestowed, and to
recount to eager listeners the mysterious tale of their interview with
beings from another world, and who were of an unknown form and colour.

SAIL FROM THE GASCOYNE.

Whilst they hurried off with some such thoughts passing through their
minds we pulled down the Gascoyne in search of new lands and new
adventures.

AFFINITY OF DIALECTS.

The result of this conference affords an example of the grounds upon
which any similarity of the language in different portions of the
continent of Australia has been denied. In this instance, had I at first
taken the word of Kaiber for it, I should have left the Gascoyne with a
firm conviction that the natives of that part of Australia spoke a
radically different language from the natives near the Swan River; and
this would have been proved by the fact of a native from the south not
understanding them: whereas there is a great affinity between the two
dialects, to discover which requires however an acquaintance with the
general principles of language, some knowledge of the one in question,
and due patience. I can only say that wherever I have been in the
southern portions of the continent I could soon understand the natives.

CHAPTER 16. TO KOLAINA AND BACK TO THE GASCOYNE.

EXAMINE THE COAST TO THE NORTH OF THE GASCOYNE.

March 7.

When we got outside the mouth of the Gascoyne a fresh breeze was blowing
from the south-east. We ran along the shore west by north, keeping about
a quarter of a mile from it; and after having made about three miles and
a half we reached the southern extremity of the other mouth of the river.
The mean depth in our course along Babbage Island had been from two and a
half fathoms to three fathoms; and this opening had a bar which we then
conceived to run right across the mouth of the river. The northern
extremity of Babbage Island is a very remarkable low point of land which
I called Mangrove Point. It cannot fail to be recognised for it is the
first point from the northward along the eastern shores of Shark Bay
where mangroves are found, and from that point they extend almost
uninterruptedly down the eastern coast of this bay to the south, as far
as I have seen it.

CONTINUE THE COURSE TO THE NORTHWARD.

The coast now trended north by west and we continued to run along it.
After passing Mangrove Point the sandy dunes along the shore ceased, and
the land appeared to be scarcely elevated above the level of