s superabundance of
females? Neither of the men had suffered the extraction of a front tooth.
We were eager to know whether or not this custom obtained among them. But
neither Colbee nor Boladeree would put the question for us; and on the
contrary, showed every desire to wave the subject. The uneasiness which
they testified, whenever we renewed it, rather served to confirm a
suspicion which we had long entertained, that this is a mark of subjection
imposed by the tribe of Cameragal, (who are certainly the most powerful
community in the country) on the weaker tribes around them. Whether the
women cut off a joint of one of the little fingers, like those on the sea
coast, we had no opportunity of observing. These are petty remarks. But
one variety struck us more forcibly. Although our natives and the strangers
conversed on a par and understood each other perfectly, yet they spoke
different dialects of the same language; many of the most common and
necessary words used in life bearing no similitude, and others being
slightly different.

------------------------------------------------------------
English Name on the sea coast Name at the Hawkesbury
------------------------------------------------------------

The Moon Yeneeda Condoen
The Ear Gooree Benna
The Forehead Nullo Narran
The Belly Barang Bindee
The Navel Muneero Boombong
The Buttocks Boong Baylee
The Neck Calang Ganga
The Thigh Tara Dara
The Hair Deewara Keewara
-------------------------------------------------------------

That these diversities arise from want of intercourse with the people
on the coast can hardly be imagined, as the distance inland is but
thirty-eight miles; and from Rose Hill not more than twenty, where the
dialect of the sea coast is spoken. It deserves notice that all the
different terms seemed to be familiar to both parties, though each in
speaking preferred its own*.

[*How easily people, unused to speak the same language, mistake each other,
everyone knows. We had lived almost three years at Port Jackson (for more
than half of which period natives had resided with us) before we knew that
the word 'beeal', signified 'no', and not 'good', in wh