and herbage of the land he has in occupation, &c, &c, making a good selection of ewes, and taking care to have a superior race of rams to improve his breed. By annually crossing the ewes with a superior woolled ram, he may confidently expect in a few years to obtain an excellent flock of fine woolled sheep. He must take care to exclude all ewes found to produce inferior fleeces.
Rams and ewes two years old are the most valuable stock, because they are then in perfection, and their ages can be easily ascertained. The pure breed are the most certain stock to be relied on, and they ought to be selected from lean flocks, rather than those in good condition; because they can then be bought generally on more advantageous terms, and their defects are more easily discovered when poor and in low condition. Such sheep are not immediately to be turned into rich and luxuriant pasturage; the improvement in the feed should be progressive. These remarks are chiefly confined to sheep best adapted to poor land.
If the land is rich and luxuriant, long-woolled sheep will prove the most advantageous stock, there being at present a greater demand for this class of wool than at any former period. It is required not only for home consumption, but for the other states of Europe. From these united causes, it may be presumed that combing wool of good quality will retain a higher relative value than any other description.
A long-woolled sheep being larger in bulk, will naturally afford a greater quantity of wool, in addition to the extra length of the staple; consequently it will appear that the flockmaster who is possessed of rich land will best consult his interest by cultivating this description of sheep. It should, however, be noticed, that they require a constant succession of nutritious food to keep them in an uniform condition, in order to avoid what is called a break, or joint in the staple.
A farmer cultivating this breed should be provided with a supply of cole-seed, mangel wurzel, carrots, potatoes, cabbages, cut peas, bran, wheat straw, hay, or any other artificial food, to supply his stock during a great drought or an inclement season; and whilst on this subject, it may not be irrelevant to point out the great benefit which the flockmaster would derive from having a supply of salt to give them occasionally. It would most probably be found peculiarly beneficial in countries where the drought is of long continuance, at which period salt could be administered with great advantage, as it would not only be salutary and wholesome, but also allay the thirst of the animals, and probably preserve the lives of many sheep. Feeding sheep from racks above their heads is objectionable, as, in the first place, it occasions a waste of the fodder, and, in the next, the short hay and seeds fall on the neck and shoulders of the sheep, and spoil the most valuable part of the fleece, besides making the sheep uncomfortable.
It would prove much to the advantage of those who keep long woolled sheep if they suffered the lambs of their flock to retain their fleeces until the next year's shearing, as they would then produce a class of wool known by the name of tegg or hogget wool, which is much sought after for combing purposes, being more valuable than either the produce of ewes or wether sheep.
Lambs with indifferent fleeces, or with perhaps black or brown hairs occasionally interspersed, should be rejected, as the wool is only suitable for medley cloths; whereas the white fleece can be applied to all purposes. Having recommended the cultivation of long sheep wherever the pasturage is adapted for their support, I shall add a few remarks on the nature and properties of combing wool, as an assistance to the farmer in the choice and selection of his stock. The chief perfection of combing wool consists in its being of a proper length, quality and strength, and the finer, softer and more silky the fibre, the more valuable it is. The wool required for ordinary combing purposes should be seven or eight inches long, but modern machinery has enabled the spinner to consume wool of a shorter length and much finer quality, and consequently stuffs of a superior texture and much finer quality are now manufactured from fine wool, both in France and England. To make the finest yarns, it is desirable that wools should be from four or fine inches long, free from pointed spiry hairs at the extremities; it being at the same time requisite that it should have a considerable degree of toughness or strength, for without this property, it cannot be good combing WOOlr VOCABULARY OF THE ABORIGINAL LANGUAGE 07 WESTERN AUSTRALIA. BY CAPT. GREY, OF H. M . 83rD REGIMENT. (Continued) JNoor-go, an egg Noor-go-imba, the shell of an egg Noor-go-mam-mungo, the white of an egg Noor-go-nat-djing, the yoke of an egg Noorn-noo, a species of snake Noo-tdo-wun-neen, shutting Nooyung, the wind No-pine, the young of animals Noy-j ung, allied Nu-ba, the young of any thing Nug-ga, cold Nu goo-lung, to sleep in water; as " mungite nu goolung"
Nuh,oh! ah! Nu-jee, a large species of mouse which burrows in the earth: it is eaten by the natives, Nu-la, a species of moss Nu-map, small, little, diminutive Nu-mar, a flesh colored fungus Nune-doo, or Nune-dool, will you Nune-o-luk, thine Nun-gar, the nape of the ne,ck Nun-gow, to look, to see, to behold* N,u-rang, ye Nu-rang uk, yours Nye-do, a species of fly Nyelin-gur, stringy Nyette, shavings obtained by shaving the kangaroo skin Nyetting, cold Nyte-bee, nothing N ga-dite, shallow Ngalá, we two, the dual between parents and children Ngal-á -ta, wa three Ngal-ba, pieces of string projecting from the ends of the bags carried by the females, and to which the 8trap with which to support it is attached Ngal-bo, an ornamental tuft of emu feathers worn on various parts of the body Ngal-lan-bur rang, twilight Ngal-leen, crooked, awry; as " matta ngalleen," crooked legs Ngal-li, we two, the dual between brothers and sisters, or two friend* { Ngal-lun, a hole Ngal-ya, the arm-pit Ngan, who Ngan-a-luk, mine Ngan-do, who is the agent Ngan-dyne, unwell Ngan-ga, the sun Ngan-gan, a mother Ngan gan-broo, an orphan, motherless Ngan-nee, who Ngan-meek, we two, the dual between husband and wife Ngan-neel, we, or us Ngan-nee-luk, ours Ngan-nong, whose Ngan-now, to eat, to swallow Ngan-numa, or Ngan-num, we two, the dual between two brother8-in law Ngan-ya, I Ngar-do, as "jee-na ngardo," the heel, also the left arm or side Ngar-dul, low in position, lying low, below Ngar-dung, to creep, to steal on anything Ngar-dung-win, stealing on game, creeping along Ngar-ra, to burn Ngar-ri.l, the numeral three Ngat-tung, to wound, to injure IN gin-nee, thou Ngin-now, to sit, to remain for a time in any place Ngo-bar, open sandy downs near the sea Ngo-bart-ngo bart, to open and shut quickly; as
- mail ngobart ngobart, " to wink Ngob-borne, very large, big NgO'lak, the white tailed species of black cockatoo Ngo-lang-a, after, behind Ngón-na, the pieces of kangaroo string usnd for the purpose of stringing the bags which the women carry Ngon-yung, a
species of flower called the honey flower Ngoo-boo, blood Ngoo-bool-yer, red, blood, colored Ngool-ya, a red root, somewhat resembling bohn in flavour, but tougher, and more stringy Ngoo-moon, large, big, fat Ngoon-man. the right arm or side i Ngoon-un, a duck iNgoo-ra, a email lake or basin of water Ngo-ro, what falls from the nose, the mucua of the nose Ngo-tak, one of the great families into which the natives are divided Ngo-û-dung, stingy, not willing to give Ngow-er, a tuft of cockatoo feathers worn in the hair, Ngow-o, a species of bird called the pheasant Ngo-yar, to cut ^^ íígo-yung, to blow, to whistle as the wind; as ^
" ngo-yung maar boola"
Ngun-na, my Ngwir-re, or Ngwir-ryne, beautiful, handsome, tall, Ngwoon-dow, to lie down, O Onun-na, a bird of the duck kind Ooloit, thecalfoftheleg; a corruption of Walr. gyte Oor do, a younger brother Oor-rar, far away, distant Orl-go, a tooth;a corruption of IJTalgo Or-ree, tall, slender, long Quail-up, the mona venens Qua-la, a name. Kól-le Qua-la, a song Quan-nert. See Koo-nert Quel-cain. SeeKjwel kan-now Quip pie, to steal. Piobably a word introduced, by Europeans Quog-gum, a crow. Wardung Qwa, yes T Taan, to pierce, to penetrate, to make an opening . Tab-ba, the native knife, formed of splinters, or ^ quartz, fastened with gum on a long piece of stick. Tab burt, to fall, to set, as the sun lákan, to break Tal lun-e-reetch, be off, get out Tal lung, the tongue Tan do, a species of hawk Tar-gat, the windpipe Tda, the mouth, or an opening Tda-dum, the name of a star, which is supposed to be a female, the wife of Woor-dytche Tdon-dail, fair, light-colored. Djitto Tdoor-da, a dog Tdowt-ta, a root eaten by the natives Tdur duck, limestone, lime Tee-luk, a species of bird, commonly called the magpie Te-ne, a brother-in-law To-lail, a species of bird, the crow Ton-dar-up, one of the great families into which the natives are divided; they are said to be generally "oo-ree," or tall, but not very thin Too-koon, to cook, to lay anything on the fire for the purpose of roasting Toorduck, convalescent, or a little ill Toor-ta dy-cr, a dog's tail Toort-ta, a dog Ta de be, or Tu-tde-Lá, the gum adhering to tie leaves which compose the xanthorrhea Tup-put, slow, lazy, inagile, tired Tyn-ro, the left arm or side W Waar-dat, the west Wad-da-rook, the sow-thistle Wad-da rook, the local name of the Ngotack family Wad-joo, fastened up; as
- . katta mungara wadjoo, '*
< the hair of the head rolled up in the way the natives wear it Wa-dum, serious, not joking, in earnest ^ Wal-byne, to cure by enchantment. This process is performed by drawing away the Boyla, who is in the patient, from the diseased part to some ©f the extremities of the body, whence he is expelled by the operator, who effects his purpose by squeezing the afflicted part with his hands, gia dually drawing them towards the extremities. He, however, is very careful, after each squeeze, to shake his hands, and blow, well upon them, to save himself from being afflicted by the 13oly-ya, who generally eventually goes off in an invisible form, although sometimes he assumes the form of a piece of quartz, in which case he is captured and preserved asa great curiosi ty. If any person has a great repu at ion for performing this operation, the natives will, in the event of the illness of a relative, travel many miles to procure his attendance. (To be continued) EUHBO, PRINTED, AND PUULJSKEU, OV CHARLES MACFAULL, At the Gazette Office, Perth. Terms of Subscription
- 10>. 6d . per Quarter, if jt paid in advance; or, 12«. ifpaid at the end of j
the Quarter. Single number One shillings
