tention, in which he had promised to co-operate with
me; and in which he had advanced his researches beyond the reach of
competition. The few remarks which I can offer shall be concisely detailed.

We were at first inclined to stigmatised this language as harsh and
barbarous in its sounds. Their combinations of words in the manner they
utter them, frequently convey such an effect. But if not only their proper
names of men and places, but many of their phrases and a majority of their
words, be simply and unconnectedly considered, they will be found to abound
with vowels and to produce sounds sometimes mellifluous and sometimes
sonorous. What ear can object to the names of Colbee, (pronounced exactly
as Colby is with us) Bereewan, Bondel, Imeerawanyee, Deedora, Wolarawaree,
or Baneelon, among the men; or to Wereeweea, Gooreedeeana, Milba*, or
Matilba, among the women. Parramatta, Gweea, Cameera, Cadi, and Memel, are
names of places. The tribes derive their appellations from the places they
inhabit. Thus Cemeeragal, means the men who reside in the bay of Cameera;
Cedigal, those who reside in the bay of Cadi; and so of the others. The
women of the tribe are denoted by adding 'eean' to any of the foregoing
words. A Cadigaleean imports a woman living at Cadi, or of the tribe of
Cadigal. These words, as the reader will observe, are accented either on
the first syllable or the penultima. In general, however, they are partial
to the emphasis being laid as near the beginning of the word as possible.

[*Mrs. Johnson, wife of the chaplain of the settlement, was so pleased with
this name that she christened her little girl, born in Port Jackson, Milba
Maria Johnson.]

Of compound words they seem fond. Two very striking ones appear in the
journal to the Hawkesbury. Their translations of our words into their
language are always apposite, comprehensive, and drawn from images familiar
to them. A gun, for instance, they call 'gooroobeera', that is, a stick of
fire. Sometimes also, by a licence of language, they call those who
carry guns by the same name. But the appellation by which they generally
distinguished us was that of 'bereewolgal', meaning men come from afar.
When they salute any one they call him 'dameeli', or namesake, a term which
not only implies courtesy and good-will, but a certain degree of affection
in the speaker. An interchange of names with any one is also a symbol of
friendship. Each person has several names; one of