peared to me to use in the greatest abundance were seeds of various
kinds, as of grasses of several sorts, of the mesembryanthemum, of the
acacia and of the box-tree; of roots and herbs, of caterpillars and
moths, of lizards and snakes, but of these there are very few. Besides
these they sometimes take the emu and kangaroo, but they are never so
plentiful as to constitute a principal article of food. They take ducks
when the rains favour their frequenting the creeks and lagoons, exactly
as the natives of other parts of Australia do, with nets stuck up to long
poles, and must procure a sufficiency of birds during the summer season.
They also wander among the sand ridges immediately after a fall of rain,
to hunt the jerboa and talperoo, (see Nat. Hist.,) of which they procure
vast supplies; but all these sports are temporary, particularly the
latter, as the moment the puddles dry up the natives are forced to
retreat and fall back on previous means of subsistence.

With regard to their language, it differed in different localities,
though all had words common to each respectively. My friend Mr. Eyre
states, that they have not any generic name for anything, as tree, fish,
bird; but in this, as far as the fish goes, I think he is mistaken, for
the old man who visited our camp before the rains, and who so much raised
our hopes, certainly gave them a generic name; for placing his fingers on
such fish as he recognised, he distinctly mentioned their specific name,
but when he put his fingers on such as he did not recognise, he said
"Guia, Guia, Guia," successively after each, evidently intending to
include them under the one name. With respect to their religious
impressions, if I may so call them, I believe they have none. The only
impression they have is of an evil spirit, but however melancholy the
fact, it is no less true that the aborigines of Australia have no idea of
a superintending Providence.

In conclusion: I have spoken of Mr. Browne and Mr. Piesse throughout my
narrative, in terms such as I feel they deserved. I should be sorry to
close its pages without also recording the valuable and cheerful
assistance I received from Mr. Stuart, whose zeal and spirit were equally
conspicuous, and whose labour at the charts did him great credit. To
Flood I was indebted for having my horses in a state fit for service,
than whom as a person in charge of stock, I could not have had a better;
and I cannot but speak well of all the men