circum ftan ce oc cu r red a ftiort tim e afte r, -we h a v e e v e ry rea fon to fu p -
p ofe th e cu ftom a lw a y s p re va ils am o n g th em ; and th is m a y in fom e
d egre e a c co u n t fo r th e th in n e fs o f p o p u la tio n w h ic h has been obfe rv ed
am o n g th e nativ es o f the c o u n t ry^ .
I h a v e faid that, the fe w om e n w e r e namefakes. B en -n il- lo n g ’ s w ife
w a s ca lled B a - ran g -a - ro o D a r in g -h a ; C o le -b eV , D a r in g -h a lk i-ran g-
a -ro o . A p e cu lia r ity in th e ir lan gu a g e o ccu r s to me in this place. T h e
males o f th e lame name ca il e ach o th e r D a -m e - li, th e w om en call each
o th e r D a-m e - li-gh e ft.
I h a v e m en tion ed th e ir ta k in g p ar ticu lar names o n ce rtain occafions.
T h e m u tu a l fr ien d w h o attends th em to th e field is fty le d C a -b a h -m y ;
th e perfons w h o at th e ir funera ls are p ainted red and w h ite , are named
M o o - b y ; thé n am e fek e o f a deceafed p e r fon , i f a male, is fty led B o -
r a h n g ; i f a w om an ,: B o '-rah n g-a l-le -on . W h e n N o r - ro o - in g came into
th e tow n to a cq u a in t'u s w i th th e death o f Y e l - lo -w a y , fhe w a sp e r fe é t ly
a d ifm al fo r row in g figure . S h e h ad co v e red h e r fe lf e n tir e ly With afhes,
w a s named w h ile fh e co n tin u ed fo G o - la h n g , and re fu fed all k in d s o f
fu ftenan ce . •
. T h é an n e x ed P i, g t e rep refents th e b u rn in g o f the corp fe o f a n a tiv e
w h o w a s k illed b y a lim b o f a tree fa llin g on h im . H e w a s b ro u g h t to
th e fp o t w i th all th e p re ced in g ce remonies. H is h ead w a s la id to th e
n o r thw a rd , and in h is hands w e r e d epofited h is fp e a r and his th row in g -
ftick . H is afhes w e re afterw ard s raked to g e th e r , and a tumulus e reéied
o v e r th em , fim ila r to th a t w h ic h B e n -n il- lo n g h ad raifed o v e r h is w ife .
No. XII.
L A N G U A G E .
I n g iv in g an ac co u n t o f an u nw r itten lan gu a g e m a n y difficulties
o c cu r . F o t th in g s co gn iz ab le b y th e e x te rn a l fenfes; n am e s imay be
e a f ily p r o c u r e d ; b u t n o t fo fo r th o fe w h ic h d epend o n a f t io n , o r addrefs
* Cole-be’s child was about four or five months old, and feemed to have partaken of
Its mother’s illnefs. I think it conld not have lived.
6 th em -