their foe between two fires, and thus overcome the quick eye which enables him to watch the direction of the spear. They throw the "kyle-ee," so that it shall come up behind their antagonist, and while he, aware of this, looks round, he receives the spear which they hold in the other hand; or if he prefer watching the latter, he is struck in the back by the double-edged instrument coming with incredible speed and force. It is also used in killing birds, who are sure to go off at the back of the tree when alarmed, and are met by this new enemy. So very singular and beautiful is the action of the "kyle-ee" that we should, with difficulty, have credited it, had we not ourselves been witnesses to its performance when thrown by a friend in this country, the brother of our author, to whom some had been sent, and who has made others on the same model, which he has frequently exhibited to the astonishment of parties of friends. One scene between our author and some natives, has such a curious coincidence with one of the customs alluded to in Scripture that we shall extract it : "Whilst engaged in this conversation, one of the men in the outermost hut suddenly shouted an exclamation in a tone of surprise and alarm-Waow Yoongar (the term by which they designate themselves.) This started us all on our feet, when we saw the man, with his spear poised, holding at bay two figures which stood at a little distance. The strangers had a downcast, submissive, melancholy look; the alarm gradually subsided, the spears were dropped from the hands, and the men silently approached. Thinking it was merely some chance arrival, I seated myself again; but Coodenbung's attention was rivetted, and he shortly whispered me to go and ask who was dead. Dead? how? where? said I, in surprise. Do you see one with his arms about the other? I went near, and saw one sitting on the ground, and one of the strangers seated upon the thighs of that one, his legs pushed out on either side, the stranger's arms embracing the body of the other, who held his hands under the stranger's thighs-breast to breast-and cheek to cheek. Who is dead? No answer but a shake of the head. After a time, the stranger arose, and the other said, Now, I'll speak.' It appears that a man called Wango,' a relative of this family, had been killed that day by the Dyerring tribe-this messenger had come to announce the event; whether to warn them of danger, or to arouse them to re This gave oc venge, I could not learn. We refer our readers to the mode of swearing described in the 24th chapter of Genesis, 2nd verse. The oath imposed upon Joseph by his father Jacob is similar; and it would appear that in the present instance the ceremony was an oath to avenge the death of the kinsman. But to return to our subject. It is a remarkable fact that the waters of Australia, especially in the interior, frequently disappear in an unaccountable manner after running some distance. This cannot be the result, either of the heat or of the sandy nature of the soil, as both these are much more prevalent in many other portions of the globe where the same phenomenon does not occur; we would call the attention of our readers to a circumstance frequently observed to take place in our own country on the sea-coast, where little streams are often seen to prefer sinking for ever into the sand, to pursuing their course down the slope to the water's edge. This is never found to be the case unless a great body of water at a lower level is at hand, which acts as an external drain, and prevents the sand from ever becoming saturated. We now come to those indications of a more positive nature which the pamphlet before us has for the first time afforded to the public. Before we do so, however, we must remind our readers of a fact which is already probably familiar to them, and which our author expresses thus:— "That these collected waters discharge Ethemselves into the ocean, somewhere on the north-west coast of the continent, has been thought probable, as well from the high tides and discoloration of the sea, as from currents running rapidly seaward and carrying driftwood, which Dampier, King, and others, have observed off that part of the coast." It cannot, we think, be said, that the facts stated in the pamphlet of Mr. Moore amount in any degree to a distinct proof, or complete chain of evidence, as to the existence of the vast body of water which he conjectures to occupy the interior of the Australian Continent; nor do we think that they are intended as such by our author; but that they are very singular, and that they do afford strong reasons for such a supposition, cannot be denied; and we are happy to learn that Mr. Moore had made arrangements for a Eregular expedition of inquiry to commence about September last; for the result of which we shall wait with considerable impatience. We are also rejoiced to find that the subject has been taken up by his majesty's government at home, at the desire of the Geographical Society, and that an expedition, under Lieutenants Gray and Lushington, is shortly to sail in the Beagle, to explore the interior to the north-east of the Swan, and the coast to the west and north, and especially Dampier's inlet. We shall now give a few extracts from Mr. Moore's very interesting let ters. Our space limits us to such passages as bear more directly on the subject of inquiry. We must premise, by stating that the whole result of the evidence given goes to shew that the na. tives on the interior of the western coast appear to be acquainted with some sheet of water to the eastward, out of which they see the sun rise, and upon which large ships could float. This they seem to consider as about ten days' journey from the York district behind the Darling range; and they appear to regard it as the far, or eastern boundary of the continent; as they cannot see across it. That it cannot be actually the east coast of Australia, is needless to state; that being nearly three thousand miles distant. Our author thus states the motives which induced him to make the excursion, during which he obtained the first intimations on the subject of this sea or lake from the natives. He afterwards made one or two more, but of the same semi-deliberate nature; it not being at that time in his power to undertake a regular journey of dis covery. from the north into the Swan throughout "As no river of any magnitude flows all its course, it appeared fair to presume that some drain for the waters of that district would be found at no great distance. Under this impression, I determined to make an excursion in a northerly direction, and to use the limited time of ten days, which was at my command, in seeking for amusement and interest from whatever should fall in the way, whether it was of human, of animal, of vegetable, or of mineral na ture." We regret that our limits oblige us to omit much interesting and amusing matter, shewing the character of the Australian natives in a very pleasing and encouraging light. We shall proceed to give extracts from conversations between Mr. Moore and the natives, during the excursions we have mentioned : "This was the first intimation I had of the extension of this valley northwards. But what river is there running to the northeast ?' There is the water of Dyerring, which runs into the Beeloo Coombar at Wonganup.' This, I am sure, is the river running through a fine valley formerly passed by Mr. Dale and myself, in which we saw a number of cattle tracks. But where does the other water far away in that direction go to?" The answer is very remarkable, and deserving of serious consideration. The other waters far away go to the north-east, and out at Moleyean, or Molieen;' the literal meaning of which word I believe to be, the other side.' This is the second occasion upon which I have heard this word used in this sense; the inference from which would be, either that they have, from communications with tribes in the interior, an idea of the eastern side of Australia, or that there exists in the interior a water so broad that they cannot see across it, and so speak of its western margin as the other side.' "We found a pool of water; it was salt as brine from a pork cask. Whilst we were tasting it, and considering whether to fill our kettles for the purpose of boiling some meat, we heard shouts of natives, and returning immediately to our bivouac, when we found that several had arrived in the meantime. One of them came and volunteered to show us water in a pool or in a rock, which they call sleeps to it? 'Amar,' (the â broad and full, as in father.) I began to question him immediately. His name was Dyat. Have you ever seen Moleyean? Yes. Where is it ? There to the east. How many Here I observed some hesitation, as he looked round to Hannapwirt, and, to my surprise, he said,— Dtonga uada' (I do not know.) It was evident that Hannapwirt was prompting him, and he did not wish to go further eastward. On returning to the fire, I accosted a good looking young lad- Tacatgwirt,' have you seen Moleyean? Yes. How many sleeps to it? Here Dyat's jealousy was roused, and he said, Friend, I'll tell you.' Being aware that many serious doubts are entertained on this subject, and that I have exposed myself to some little goodhumoured ridicule, as being a credulous dupe of the natives, I called the particular attention of Mr. Brown and Mr. Leake to the man, that they might see I was not leading him, or suggesting answers. He then told that there was a great water ten days' journey to the east; that it was salt; you could not drink it; that the country was good between this and the water; that there was plenty of gum (menny boola.) He mentioned the names of the places where he slept each night; the nature of the trees, grass, and water; and it is remarkable, that out of the nine sleeps,' all were beside springs (gnorâh,) with one exception, on the second day, where there was only water in a rock (âmar.) That he had gone to it from behind Mr. Clarkson's; that there were no high hills. I asked him particularly about a river. He once said that there was a river on the third day's journey, and I understood him to say that it came towards Mr. Clarkson's, but he did not speak positively; so it is likely that it is but a small tributary falling into the salt river. There was much other conversation, which need not be detailed. It ended in our engagement, to this effect:-Dyat, I am going to Moleyean will you go with me? Yes, now? No; in the season Cambarung" (about the latter end of September and October.) In Cambarung; where is Dyat? Behind Mr. Clarkson's. Then I shall make fires, and call, and you will understand, and come? Yes. I hope I shall be able to keep this engagement with him." "It is known to all who converse with the natives here, that their knowledge of the localities of the country beyond the bounds of their own immediate district is extremely limited and imperfect. A visit to some friend in a neighbouring tribe comprises, in general, the extent of their travels; the occasions are rare and urgent when they transgress these limits.Tomgin is a native of much shrewdness of observation, and some reflection. Having upon one occasion gone into a sort of voluntary exile for the slaying of a man, he had proceeded to a considerable distance, principally northward. On his return, nearly a year ago, I had been enquiring what strange things he had seen or heard of during his absence; and it was then that he first told me amongst other things, that he had seen a man called Mannar,' who said he had gone a long way to the north-east till he had gone to Moleyean; that it was very far away-moons would be dead, (meaning more than a month,) before you would arrive at it; that you walked over a great space where there were no trees; that the ground scorched your feet, and the sun burned your head; that you came to very high hills; that, standing upon them, you would look down upon the sun rising out of the water beyond them;-that the inhabitants were of large stature; and that the women had fair hair, and long as white women's hair; that all the people's eyes were 'sick;' that they contracted the eyelids and shook their heads as they looked at you. Deeming much of this to be the mere exaggeration of a traveller's story at the time, I laughed at it; when he said, Well, friend, do you ask Mannar; I do not tell you that I saw these things: I tell you what Mannar told me.' From my imperfect acquaintance with the language at that time, I was not sure whether he meant that Mannar himself had seen all these wonders or only heard of them; but he frequently mentioned the word Moleyean, and pointed to the northeast, in explanation of it. This word puzzled me greatly. I took an opportu nity of getting Mr. Armstrong to ques tion Tomgin as to what he meant by the word, and told him how he had used it. After some conversation with him, Mr. Armstrong said, the natives seem all to be aware that they are living on an island, and Tomgin appears to be speaking of the other side of the island.' It was evident that he thought it some idle tale—but it made a great impression on my mind, and I often examined the chart, to see if any nook or bay in that direction might possibly be within their knowledge. The gulph of Carpentaria appeared to be quite beyond the reach of probability. The Governor supposed that I must have mistaken the direction, and that one of the deep indentations of Shark's Bay might have been alluded to. In this state the subject rested, until I made an excursion about two months ago, when on the bank of a river-course, at a spot distant about one hundred miles from Perth in a N.N.E. line, it may be remembered that, in answer to my inquiry where the waters to the east of that river went to,' a native of that district gave this striking answer : The waters there go to the east, and out at Moleyean.' Here was the word again which had puzzled me so much before, and the waters going to the east and to that place which Tomgin had so often mentioned when supposed to be speaking of the other side of the island. It appeared utterly improbable, either that the waters should run from this to the eastern side of Australia, or that the natives could have any idea of a place so distant. I came at once to the conclusion that there must exist, at no very great distance, a body of water so broad, that they could not see across it, and so they spoke of its western margin as the other side of the island. In the hope that when attention was drawn to this subject, some lucky moment might throw a light upon it, I mentioned the conjecture, and in a short time Mr. Drummond's sons were informed of an immense salt water lake lying to the eastward. About this time a native of large stature appeared at York, as a visitor, from a country which he described as being seven days' journey to the east. He said there was water plenty in his country; that York was but a little good in comparison with it. This man's name was "Bellung," and the name of his country "Cabba," which will be spoken of presently. On our recent excursion we fell in with five natives at a place, perhaps 25 or 30 miles to the east of Northam. They all spoke familiarly of Moleyean; all had seen it; yet one of them was but a youth. They pointed eastward to it. Dyat said it was ten days' journey from Mr. Clarkson's, (we were then about 25 miles east of the meridian of Mr. Clarkson's.) He mentioned the different stages or sleeps where water was to be had at this time (the very driest, it should be borne in mind.) It may be useful to mention the resting places:Biargading, a spring; Gwenaging, a pool in a rock; Candaning, a spring; Gualing, ditto; Yoondaing, ditto; Yeneling, ditto; Borralingy, ditto; Mordoling, ditto; Cabba, ditto; with menny boola (plenty of gum;) then Moleyean. Here we have Cabba, the country of Bellung, on the ninth days' journey. There was also intermediate springs, which he mentioned, as Cairgarung, Damalagerry, and others; but fearing confusion, I did not note them. I think sufficient has been shewn to prove the existence of some large water, and the shortest way to it. As to the distance to the nearest point. The best average I can make of their day's journey is about fifteen miles; this would make 150 miles from Mr. Clarkson's. It is not likely that the distance is greater it may probably be less. The next question is not only of immediate interest to this Colony, but of public interest in a geographical point of view-what is the character of this large water? Whether a lake, an inlet of the sea, or a strait? It must be broad, for it is a commonly received opinion among the natives here, that the Dáran, or Eastern men see the spot where the sun rises from; that it is at a place where the sky and water are near one another; that they see him start at once from his bed into the sky-whereas he has got up some distance before the Swan River men see him. "I tried the natives to the eastward with the word which is generally used here to designate a lake; they would not apply this phrase, though they seemed perfectly to understand it, but constantly used the word Moleyean, which they seemed to think was sufficient to explain itself. As far as our present information extends, the whole question now hinges upon the precise meaning of that word. Let us consider it a little. Mr. Armstrong says he has lately learnt that it is the word by which the mountain men designate the ocean, and he appears inclined to acquiesce in the inference that they are speaking of the sea on the south coast. A little reflection will shew us that this inference cannot be correct. The immense lake' was mentioned as lying east of York, which is in lat. about 31, 50. Twenty miles to the north of York the Daran men spoke of Moleyean as lying due east, ten days' journey; and ninety miles north of York. Bingal also spoke of Moleyean as lying due east from that point, say, for round numbers, about lat. 31. Now the surveys of Captain Flinders are held to be of acknowledged and established accuracy, and the most northern limit of any part of the southern coast, on his charts, is a point of the great Australian Bight, in lat. 31, 30., long. 131., or about 14 degs. to the east, which, allowing 58 miles to a longitudinal degree in this latitude, equal to about 67 British miles, gives between 900 and 1,000 miles distance, which is manifestly beyond ten days' journey. But it may be said, it is some part of the Southern Ocean nearer to this; but as you come to the west, the coast extends further to the south, and on the meridian of 150 miles east of Mr. Clarkson's, the nearest part of the coast is 160 miles to the south. Then how can the ocean lie ten days' journey to the east of lat. 31. 40., or at all to the east of lat. 31.; or how can the sun be seen to rise from a water which is due south 160 miles, or due east 900 miles distant? No; if it be the ocean, it is not that part of it which is marked in the chart as being to the south of this coast. One point strikes me as important with reference to this word. The native, Hannapwirt, whom we met on this side of Northam, on being asked, "Where is Moleyean?" said, “ To the east far away." Now if this word meant simply the ocean, would it not have been more natural for him to have pointed to the ocean which was but sixty miles to the west, than to the ocean which was, by their own reckoning, twelve days' journey, or perhaps 180 miles, to the east? This, however, is by no means conclusive on the point. That to the east may have been more familiar to him; but I have a very strong impression that this word has some peculiar meaning which we have not yet arrived at. With respect to the probability of this water being connected with the sea to the south, it may be remembered, that two boys, who said they were driven by ill usage to desert from a sailing ship at Middle Island, made their way along the coast from that to King George's Sound. This negatives the idea of the existence of any broad or deep channel of communication between this and Cape Arid, in longitude about 1:23. 12. But whatever may be the boundary of this water to the south, or wherever may be its connexion with the sea (if it has any) to the south, I feel myself bound to say, that the whole tenor of the many conversations I have had with different natives on this subject, their looks, gesture, and manner, as well as that portion of their language which was intelligible, all lead me to the belief, that this water extends to the north, and is in all probability connected with the sea at Shark's Bay, or, more probably still, at North West Cape. One expression of Bingal appears to bear strongly upon this point. In endeavouring to explain the meaning of this word, he said, in his dialect, that at Moleyean there was "bojore waam uad" (no more land.) Surely if he was speaking of the Southern Ocean, which lies to the south of that parallel, he could not express himself in this way, when pointing eastward; nor, again, if he knew any northern termination to this water, is it likely that he would have used such an expression. And again, another circumstance is very important, but it must not be estimated beyond its real value. In speaking to the eastern natives, I had Tomgin beside me as a sort of interpreter, when I felt at a loss. Having asked-Does this large water go to the north? Yes. Far to the north? Yes, far away.—1 -Does it go to the south far away? Yes. Going to the north by Moleyean, do you go to the sea? The answer was, yes, it is the sea or the same as the sea (Gaibby wotan mocoin.) 1 was not satisfied with this, for it seemed to prove too much; so I said to Tomgin, You know what a ship is-ask him if a ship could go to the north by Moleyean and round that way by the gaibby wotan (the sea) to Freemantle.' He seemed surprised at my simplicity, but asked several questions of Dyat, which I did not thoroughly comprehend, except that he spoke of a boat or ship (woandebery) going north. He then turned and said something tantamount to this and I will give the whole answer as he gave it : Yes, it is a truth (boondobuc) a ship may go to the north, then round to the south to Freemantle, (still turning and pointing,) and east to King George's Sound where Migo has been, and then north to Sydney-all, all, all, said he, completing a circle with his hand. He had been told that white men lived at Sydney, to the east. Now, it will be seen, that, in saying this, he has said more than Dyat could have told him, for Dyat knew nothing of King George's Sound or Sydney; but still the answer strikes me as being very material, to show what was his impression, as gleaned from the natives, and that he considers Moleyean to bound the eastern side of the island, which, if it be true, would amount to this that it is a strait running from north to south, and insulating a large portion of Western Australia. Now I should be sorry to be misunderstood, as if resting upon this as a position which I should defend, or even advancing it as a plausi ble theory, upon these slight foundations. I have merely been desirous to state, fully and candidly, all the information which I have acquired on this subject, and to leave it to others to draw whatever inference they may consider best warranted by such information." not consider these passages as in any We have already stated that we do degree entitled to the character of a look upon them as amounting to a chain of evidence; but we certainly considerable ground for supposing the existence of some vast lake or sea in the interior of that great continent. Since the subject has been at length actively taken up, it is probable that we shall not be left much longer to conjecture. Indeed the delightful climate, the open country, and the friendly and communicative disposition of the natives ren |