Remarks.
1. It is a most difficult matter to get the articles; in fact I do not think they have any, for in order to express the definite article they would say "that man;" and for the indefinite article, "another man;" or in their own tongue, Preppa kani.
2. In expressing the masculine or feminine they say, Brangolo jirrah (that is, male kangaroo); or sometimes they will say, Jirrah watty (a big kangaroo); and a female kangaroo is Booyanga jirrah (a kangaroo with an ovary); but in describing other animals they say, for females, Yackan (mother)—thus, Yackana koola (a female or mother bear).
3. In expressing the plural they make no difference where they place an adjective before it. Thus—"one kangaroo" is Kooto jirrah; "two kangaroos," Booloomana jirrah; but to express a large number of kangaroos they alter the termination of the noun. Thus, they say, Yaail manda jirrowa (many kangaroos), or Yaail manda koolowa (many native bears); but this is done merely for the sake of euphony, as there seems to me no particular rule on the subject; for they say Kootopana kani, that is, "one man;" or Boolooman kani, "two men;" and to express many men they say, Yaail manda kani—the termination of the noun not being altered at all. So I think we may conclude that they only alter the noun when it would sound abrupt without some affix. They have no way of expressing the plural as we have. They cannot express "trees": they say Gullepur, or Yaail gullepur, or, for "one stick," Kallack; and Yaail manda kallowa, for "many sticks." Indeed the blacks have no word to express "tree." The word Gullepur may mean a tree, or merely a piece of stick, or even a pipe to smoke with. In just the same way, they have no word for "fish" or "bird." All are distinguished by their proper names, as, for instance, a stringybark tree is Yangoora, and an ironbark, Irrick. So, in like manner, fish are known by their proper names, as Kine (bream), Tamboon (perch), Krinyang (mullet), &c., &c.; but the whole is known as Yarnda jacka (meat which is in the water).
4. I find it difficult to express how they compare. In comparing, for instance, "big," they say Quarrail gree (big canoe); for one bigger, Mack quarrail gree (which means a very big canoe); but to express a bigger one still they say Mack quarrail gatty gree—that is to say, "a very big, big canoe." And in comparing the word "tall," they say, Wreckil kani (a tall man), Gnolo wreckil kani (a taller man), and Mack gnolo wreckil kani (the tallest man). To express "good," "better," "best," they say—Laan manda kani (a good man), Mack laan manda kani (a very good man), and Bremmanda kani (the best man).
5. I have found it very difficult to get the pronouns, and I may state that they have no gender.
6. To show how the relative pronouns are used, I give an example or two. For instance, "Who goes with me?" is—
| Nanma | gegan | thulo | wanga | neeta? |
| Who | goes | with | me? | |
