The Rev. Mr. Bulmer, in reply to my enquiries, has furnished me with a list of the vegetables commonly eaten by the natives of Gippsland. They are as follows:—
| Common Name. | Native Name. | How Eaten. |
| Sow-thistle | Thalaak | Always eaten raw. |
| Mesembryanthemum (pig-face) | Katwort | Fruit eaten raw. |
| Flag | Toorook | The root sometimes roasted, and also eaten raw. |
| Water-grass | Loombrak | The root roasted in ashes: never eaten raw. |
| Male fern (common fern) | Geewan | Root roasted in the ashes. |
| Tree-fern | Kakowera | The pith roasted in the ashes. |
| Dwarf tree-fern | Karaak | The pith roasted in the ashes. |
| Native cherry | Ballat | The fruit, when ripe, eaten raw. |
| White currant | Yellitbowng | Always eaten raw. |
| Black currant | Lira | Fruit eaten when ripe. |
| Large black currant | Wandha-wan | Fruit eaten when ripe. |
| Kangaroo apple | Koonyang | Fruit eaten when ripe. |
From Mr. Hogan, of Lake Condah, I have received also, in reply to enquiries, the native names of the vegetables formerly gathered for food by the Aborigines of the Western district. The list is as follows:—
| Common Name. | Native Name. | How Eaten. |
| Fern | Mukine | Roasted. |
| Rush | Purtich | Roasted. |
| Yam | Yerat or Murr-nong | Roasted. |
| Mushroom | Pekurn | Roasted. |
| Grass (a kind of) | Tarook | Roasted. |
| Thistle | Tallerk | Eaten raw. |
| Kangaroo apple | Meakitch | Eaten raw. |
| Native cherry | Pallert | Eaten raw. |
| Wild raspberry | Boring-koot | Eaten raw. |
| Grass-tree | Karwin | (not stated— |
pieces cut out of the head of the stem, | ||
The natives used also to compound liquors—perhaps after a slight fermentation to some extent intoxicating—from various flowers, from honey, from gums, and from a kind of manna. The liquor was usually prepared in the large wooden bowls (tarnuks) which were to be seen at every encampment. In the flowers of a dwarf species of Banksia (B. ornata) there is a good deal of honey, and this was got out of the flowers by immersing them in water. The water thus sweetened was greedily swallowed by the natives. This drink was named Beal by the natives of the west of Victoria, and was much esteemed.
