a complete account of the settlement-第20章

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ly　tiresome。　　Our　perplexities　afforded　them　an　inexhaustible　fund　of　merriment　and　derision：　　Did　the　sufferer；　stung　at　once　with　nettles　and　ridicule；　and　shaken　nigh　to　death　by　his　fall；　use　any　angry　expression　to　them；　they　retorted　in　a　moment；　by　calling　him　by　every　opprobrious　name*　which　their　language　affords。

Boladeree　destroyed　a　native　hut　today　very　wantonly　before　we　could　prevent　him。　　On　being　asked　why　he　did　so；　he　answered　that　the　inhabitants　inland　were　bad；　though　no　longer　since　than　last　night；　when　Bereewan　had　departed；　they　were　loud　in　their　praise。　　But　now　they　had　reverted　to　their　first　opinion；　so　fickle　and　transient　are　their　motives　of　love　and　hatred。

＇*Their　general　favourite　term　of　reproach　is　'goninpatta'；　which　signifies　'an　eater　of　human　excrement'。　　Our　language　would　admit　a　very　concise　and　familiar　translation。　　They　have；　besides　this；　innumerable　others　which　they　often　salute　their　enemies　with。＇


Wednesday；　April　13th；　1791。　　We　did　not　set　out　this　morning　until　past　seven　o'clock；　when　we　continued　to　trace　the　creek。　　The　country　which　we　passed　through　yesterday　was　good　and　desirable　to　what　was　now　presented　to　us。　　It　was　in　general　high　and　universally　rocky。　　'Toiling　our　uncouth　way'；　we　mounted　a　hill；　and　surveyed　the　contiguous　country。　To　the　northward　and　eastward；　the　ground　was　still　higher　than　that　we　were　upon；　but　in　a　south…west　direction　we　saw　about　four　miles。　The　view　consisted　of　nothing　but　trees　growing　on　precipices；　not　an　acre　of　it　could　be　cultivated。　　Saw　a　tree　on　fire　here；　and　several　other　vestiges　of　the　natives。　　To　comprehend　the　reasons　which　induce　an　Indian　to　perform　many　of　the　offices　of　life　is　difficult；　　to　pronounce　that　which　could　lead　him　to　wander　amidst　these　dreary　wilds　baffles　penetration。　About　two　o'clock　we　reached　the　head　of　the　creek；　passed　it　and　scrambled　with　infinite　toil　and　difficulty　to　the　top　of　a　neighbouring　mountain；　whence　we　saw　the　adjacent　country　in　almost　every　direction；　for　many　miles。　I　record　with　regret　that　this　extended　view　presented　not　a　single　gleam　of　change　which　could　encourage　hope　or　stimulate　industry；　to　attempt　its　culture。　　We　had；　however；　the　satisfaction　to　discover　plainly　the　object　of　our　pursuit；　Richmond　Hill；　distant　about　eight　miles；　in　a　contrary　direction　from　what　we　had　been　proceeding　upon。　　It　was　readily　known　to　those　who　had　been　up　the　Hawkesbury　in　the　boats；　by　a　remarkable　cleft　or　notch　which　distinguishes　it。　　It　was　now　determined　that　we　should　go　back　to　the　head　of　the　creek　and　pass　the　night　there；　and　in　the　morning　cut　across　the　country　to　that　part　of　the　river　which　we　had　first　hit　upon　yesterday；　and　thence　to　trace　upward；　or　to　the　left。　　But　before　I　descend；　I　must　not　forget　to　relate　that　to　this　pile　of　desolation　on　which；　like　the　fallen　angel　on　the　top　of　Niphates；　we　stood　contemplating　our　nether　Eden；　His　Excellency　was　pleased　to　give　the　name　of　Tench's　Prospect　Mount。

Our　fatigue　to…day　had　been　excessive；　but　our　two　sable　companions　seemed　rather　enlivened　than　exhausted　by　it。　　We　had　no　sooner　halted　and　given　them　something　to　eat　than　they　began　to　play　ten　thousand　tricks　and　gambols。　They　imitated　the　leaping　of　the　kangaroo；　sang；　danced；　poised　the　spear　and　met　in　mock　encounter。　　But　their　principal　source　of　merriment　was　again　derived　from　our　misfortunes；　in　tumbling　amidst　nettles；　and　sliding　down　precipices；　which　they　mimicked　with　inimitable　drollery。　　They　had　become；　however；　very　urgent　in　their　inquiries　about　the　time　of　our　return；　nd　we　pacified　them　as　well　as　we　could　by　saying　it　would　be　soon；　but　avoided　naming　how　many　days。

Their　method　of　testifying　dislike　to　any　place　is　singular：　　they　point　to　the　spot　they　are　upon；　and　all　around　it；　crying　'weeree；　weeree'　（bad）　and　immediately　after　mention　the　name　of　any　other　place　to　which　they　are　attached　（Rose　Hill　or　Sydney　for　instance）；　adding　to　it　'budyeree；　budyeree'　（good）。　　Nor　was　their　preference　in　the　present　case　the　result　of　caprice；　for　they　assigned　very　substantial　reasons　for　such　predilection：　　〃At　Rose　Hill；〃　said　they；　〃are　potatoes；　cabbages；　pumpkins；　turnips；　fish　and　wine；　here　are　nothing　but　rocks　and　water。〃　These　comparisons　constantly　ended　with　the　question　of　〃Where's　Rose　Hill？　Where？〃　on　which　they　would　throw　up　their　hands　and　utter　a　sound　to　denote　distance；　which　it　is　impossible　to　convey　an　idea　of　upon　paper。

Thursday；　April　14th；　1791。　　We　started　early　and　reached　the　river　in　about　two　hours　and　a　half。　　The　intermediate　country；　except　for　the　last　half　mile；　was　a　continued　bed　of　stones；　which　were　in　some　places　so　thick　and　close　together　that　they　looked　like　a　pavement　formed　by　art。　　When　we　got　off　the　stones；　we　came　upon　the　coarse　river　sand　beforementioned。

Here　we　began　to　trace　upward。　　We　had　not　proceeded　far　when　we　saw　several　canoes　on　the　river。　　Our　natives　made　us　immediately　lie　down　among　the　reeds；　while　they　gave　their　countrymen　the　signal　of　approach。　After　much　calling；　finding　that　they　did　not　come；　we　continued　our　progress　until　it　was　again　interrupted　by　a　creek；　over　which　we　threw　a　tree　and　passed　upon　it。　　While　this　was　doing；　a　native；　from　his　canoe；　entered　into　conversation　with　us；　and　immediately　after　paddled　to　us　with　a　frankness　and　confidence　which　surprised　every　one。　　He　was　a　man　of　middle　age；　with　an　open　cheerful　countenance；　marked　with　the　small　pox；　and　distinguished　by　a　nose　of　uncommon　magnitude　and　dignity。　　He　seemed　to　be　neither　astonished　or　terrified　at　our　appearance　and　number。　Two　stone　hatchets；　and　two　spears　he　took　from　his　canoe；　and　presented　to　the　governor；　who　in　return　for　his　courteous　generosity；　gave　him　two　of　our　hatchets　and　some　bread；　which　was　new　to　him；　for　he　knew　not　its　use；　but　kept　looking　at　it；　until　Colbee　shewed　him　what　to　do；　when　he　eat　it　without　hesitation。　　We　pursued　our　course；　and　to　accommodate　us；　our　new　acquaintance　pointed　out　a　path　and　walked　at　the　head　of　us。　　A　canoe；　also　with　a　man　and　a　boy　in　it；　kept　gently　paddling　up　abreast　of　us。　We　halted　for　the　night　at　our　usual　hour；　on　the　bank　of　the　river。　Immediately　that　we　had　stopped；　our　friend　（who　had　already　told　us　his　name）　Gombeeree；　introduced　the　man　and　the　boy　from　the　canoe　to　us。　　The　former　was　named　Yellomundee；　the　latter　Deeimba。　　The　ease　with　which　these　people　behaved　among　strangers　was　as　conspicuous；　as　unexpected。　　They　seated　themselves　at　our　fire；　partook　of　our　biscuit　and　pork；　drank　from　our　canteens；　and　heard　our　guns　going　off　around　them　without　betraying　any　symptom　of　fear；　distrust　or　surprise。　　On　the　opposite　bank　of　the　river　they　had　left　their　wives　and　several　children；　with　whom　they　frequently　discoursed；　and　we　observed　that　these　last　manifested　neither　suspicion　or　uneasiness　of　our　designs　towards　their　friends。

Having　refreshed　ourselves；　we　found　leisure　to　enter　into　conversation　with　them。　　It　could　not　be　expected　that　they　should　differ　materially　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