Near
The Lagoons We Frequently Noticed Bare Spots Of A Circular Form, About
Twelve Or Fifteen Feet In Diameter, Round Each Of Which Was A Belt Of
Ten, Twelve, Or More Fire Places, Separated From Each Other By Only A Few
Feet.
It seems that the natives usually sit within the circle of fires;
but it is difficult to know whether it belonged to a family, or whether
each fire had an independent proprietor.
Along the Lynd and Mitchell, the
natives made their fires generally in heaps of stones, which served as
ovens for cooking their victuals. Bones of kangaroos and wallabies, and
heaps of mussel-shells, were commonly seen in their camps; but fish bones
were very rarely observed. It was very different, however, when we
travelled round the head, and along the western side, of the gulf; for
fish seemed there to form the principal food of the natives.
At the end of our stage, we came to a chain of shallow lagoons, which
were slightly connected by a hollow. Many of them were dry; and fearing
that, if we proceeded much farther, we should not find water, I encamped
on one of them, containing a shallow pool; it was surrounded by a narrow
belt of small tea trees, with stiff broad lanceolate leaves. As the water
occupied only the lower part of this basin, I deposited our luggage in
the upper part. Mr. Roper and Mr. Calvert made their tent within the belt
of trees, with its opening towards the packs; whilst Mr. Gilbert and
Murphy constructed theirs amongst the little trees, with its entrance
from the camp.
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