a complete account of the settlement-第28章

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erially　from　the　tribes　with　whom　we　were　acquainted。　　The　same　manners　and　pursuits；　the　same　amusements；　the　same　levity　and　fickleness；　undoubtedly　characterised　them。　　What　we　were　able　to　learn　from　them　was　that　they　depend　but　little　on　fish；　as　the　river　yields　only　mullets；　and　that　their　principal　support　is　derived　from　small　animals　which　they　kill；　and　some　roots　（a　species　of　wild　yam　chiefly）　which　they　dig　out　of　the　earth。　　If　we　rightly　understood　them；　each　man　possesses　two　wives。　　Whence　can　arise　this　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　which　latter　sense　we　had　always　used　it　without　suspecting　that　we　were　wrong；　and　even　without　being　corrected　by　those　with　whom　we　talked　daily。　　The　cause　of　our　error　was　this。　　The　epithet　'weeree'；　signifying　'bad'；　we　knew；　and　as　the　use　of　this　word　and　its　opposite　afford　the　most　simple　form　of　denoting　consent　or　disapprobation　to　uninstructed　Indians；　in　order　to　find　out　their　word　for　'good'；　when　Arabanoo　was　first　brought　among　us；　we　used　jokingly　to　say　that　any　thing；　which　he　liked　was　'weeree'；　in　order　to　provoke　him　to　tell　us　that　it　was　good。　　When　we　said　'weeree'；　he　answered　'beeal'；　which　we　translated　and　adopted　for　'good'；　whereas　he　meant　no　more　than　simply　to　deny　our　inference；　and　say　'no'it　is　not　bad。　　After　this；　it　cannot　be　thought　extraordinary　that　the　little　vocabulary　inserted　in　Mr。　Cook's　account　of　this　part　of　the　world　should　appear　defective　even　were　we　not　to　take　in　the　great　probability　of　the　dialects　at　Endeavour　River　and　Van　Diemen's　land　differing　from　that　spoken　at　Port　Jackson。　　And　it　remains　to　be　proved　that　the　animal　called　here　'patagaram'　is　not　there　called　'kangaroo'。＇

Stretched　out　at　ease　before　our　fire；　all　sides　continued　to　chat　and　entertain　each　other。　　Gombeeree　shewed　us　the　mark　of　a　wound　which　he　had　received　in　his　side　from　a　spear。　　It　was　large；　appeared　to　have　passed　to　a　considerable　depth；　and　must　certainly　have　been　attended　with　imminent　danger。　　By　whom　it　had　been　inflicted；　and　on　what　occasion；　he　explained　to　Colbee；　and　afterwards　（as　we　understood）　he　entered　into　a　detail　of　the　wars；　and；　as　effects　lead　to　causes；　probably　of　the　gallantries　of　the　district；　for　the　word　which　signifies　a　woman　was　often　repeated。　　Colbee；　in　return　for　his　communication；　informed　him　who　we　were；　of　our　numbers　at　Sydney　and　Rose　Hill；　of　the　stores　we　possessed　and；　above　all；　of　the　good　things　which　were　to　be　found　among　us；　enumerating　potatoes；　cabbages；　turnips；　pumpkins；　and　many　other　names　which　were　perfectly　unintelligible　to　the　person　who　heard　them；　but　which　he　nevertheless　listened　to　with　profound　attention。

Perhaps　the　relation　given　by　Gombeeree；　of　the　cure　of　his　wound；　now　gave　rise　to　the　following　superstitious　ceremony。　　While　they　were　talking；　Colbee　turned　suddenly　round　and　asked　for　some　water。　　I　gave　him　a　cupful；　which　he　presented　with　great　seriousness　to　Yellomundee；　as　I　supposed　to　drink。　　This　last　indeed　took　the　cup　and　filled　his　mouth　with　water；　but　instead　of　swallowing　it；　threw　his　head　into　Colbee's　bosom；　spit　the　water　upon　him　and；　immediately　after；　began　to　suck　strongly　at　his　breast；　just　below　the　nipple。　　I　concluded　that　the　man　was　sick；　and　called　to　the　governor　to　observe　the　strange　place　which　he　had　chosen　to　exonerate　his　stomach。　　The　silent　attention　observed　by　the　other　natives；　however；　soon　convinced　us　that　something　more　than　merely　the　accommodation　of　Yellomundee；　was　intended。　　The　ceremony　was　again　performed；　and；　after　having　sucked　the　part　for　a　considerable　time；　the　operator　pretended　to　receive　something　in　his　mouth；　which　was　drawn　from　the　breast。　With　this　he　retired　a　few　paces；　put　his　hand　to　his　lips　and　threw　into　the　river　a　stone；　which　I　had　observed　him　to　pick　up　slily；　and　secrete。　When　he　returned　to　the　fireside；　Colbee　assured　us　that　he　had　received　signal　benefit　from　the　operation；　and　that　this　second　Machaon　had　extracted　from　his　breast　two　splinters　of　a　spear　by　which　he　had　been　formerly　wounded。　We　examined　the　part；　but　it　was　smooth　and　whole；　so　that　to　the　force　of　imagination　alone　must　be　imputed　both　the　wound　and　its　cure。　Colbee　himself　seemed　nevertheless　firmly　persuaded　that　he　had　received　relief；　and　assured　us　that　Yellomundee　was　a　'caradyee'；　or　'Doctor　of　renown'。　　And　Boladeree　added　that　not　only　he　but　all　the　rest　of　his　tribe　were　'caradyee'　of　especial　note　and　skill。

The　Doctors　remained　with　us　all　night；　sleeping　before　the　fire　in　the　fullness　of　good　faith　and　security。　　The　little　boy　slept　in　his　father's　arms；　and　we　observed　that　whenever　the　man　was　inclined　to　shift　his　position；　he　first　put　over　the　child；　with　great　care；　and　then　turned　round　to　him。

Friday；　April　15th；　1791。　　The　return　of　light　aroused　us　to　the　repetition　of　toil。　　Our　friends　breakfasted　with　us；　and　previous　to　starting　Gombeeree　gave　a　specimen　of　their　manner　of　climbing　trees　in　quest　of　animals。　He　asked　for　a　hatchet　and　one　of　ours　was　offered　to　him；　but　he　preferred　one　of　their　own　making。　　With　this　tool　he　cut　a　small　notch　in　the　tree　he　intended　to　climb；　about　two　feet　and　a　half　above　the　ground；　in　which　he　fixed　the　great　toe　of　his　left　foot；　and　sprung　upwards；　at　the　same　time　embracing　the　tree　with　his　left　arm。　　In　an　instant　he　had　cut　a　second　notch　for　his　right　toe　on　the　other　side　of　the　tree　into　which　he　sprung；　and　thus；　alternately　cutting　on　each　side；　he　mounted　to　the　height　of　twenty　feet　in　nearly　as　short　a　space　as　if　he　had　ascended　by　a　ladder；　although　the　bark　of　the　tree　was　quite　smooth　and　slippery　and　the　trunk　four　feet　in　diameter　and　perfectly　strait。　　To　us　it　was　a　matter　of　astonishment；　but　to　him　it　was　sport；　for　while　employed　thus　he　kept　talking　to　those　below　and　laughing　immoderately。　　He　descended　with　as　much　ease　and　agility　as　he　had　raised　himself。　　Even　our　natives　allowed　that　he　was　a　capital　performer；　against　whom　they　dared　not　to　ent