Jump to content

Page:The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal 7(349).djvu/3

From Wikisource
This page needs to be proofread.

first Monday in October, this subject should then be brought forward. Before the footpaths are formed, it is proposed to alter the line offence in many places to remedy the irregularity which now exists. The sinuousities of the high street cannot be attributed to the holders of allotments; they consequently should not suffer by any alterations which may be made to obtain a straight line. It has been suggested that the fences should be put back some few feet; it appears to us, however, it would be greater justice to bring them forward, where it is required to perfect the line. The street is wide enough to admit of a few feet being taken from it without any detriment, and this will set aside much unpleasant feeling, which any encroachment would unavoidably create. Persons who have gained a little property, after years of toil and anxiety, are not willing to lose an inch of it. Who can say they are to blame? We hold it the duty of the Directors of Roads, where alterations are required, to make it their study to give a few feet of ground, where an equal result will be obtained, rather than to make a sacrifice of any portion of a hard-earned acquisition. As some apprehension exists that changes will be effected without the concurrence of the proprietors of allotments, we beg to apprise them that their fears are groundless, the Directors having no power to meddle with private property. The Act to provide for the management of Roads, Streets, &c, affords a very wholesome protection. On the requisition of three or more Trustees, a special meeting of the householders can he convened, at which meeting any points of mutual interest may be discussed, and the acts of the Directors may be canvassed. That the Directors should exercise great caution in granting 8 privilege to use materials, such as clay, &c, found in any of the streets, has been brought before our notice, by an application to rent for a term of years a street leading to the water side, for which the consideration to be given is merely filling up a hollow space in the road, and some other trifling improvements, which could be effected for about £30. This does not appear to us to be an advisable measure for the Directors to sanction,-and when it is coupled with a permission to erect a lime-kiln in the same street, we feel our objection will be borne out by all the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. We would advise the residents in the vicinity of Springs-street, Perth, to take this subject into their serious consideration, and we think the Directors should pause before they open the door to a system involving questions of importance to the interests of the Road Trust.


AMATEUR THEATRICALS-CHARLES THE SECOND. How is it possible that Mr. Payne, the author of Charles II,, the piece so well represented by our Amateurs lately, could have fallen into the gross blunder of making Copp, at his tavern, treat his guests with tea? The date of the action of the play lies about 1665-70. Now at this time, so far from tea being to be found at the table of a Wapping tavern, we much doubt if it frequently appeared at "royalty's mess."

The following extract from the well known diary of Pepy's, Secretary to the Admiralty, will bear us out:-"

September 25, 1661.1 sent fora cup of tea (a China drink), of which Ï had never drunk before."

In 1664, the East India Company brought 2lbs. 2 oz. asa present for the King; and in 1667 they right manfully made their first speculation, by sending to their agent at Bantam " for lOOlba. of the best tea he could get."

We question if the critics at home have found this " mare's nest," at least at the latest representations we have heard of, the tea service is still retained a thing highly unlikely, had those of the "ungentle craft" roused themselves against it. We may be pardoned for mentioning that the trade had increased from the lOOlbs. in 1667 to about thirty eight millions o^ pounds imported in 1835 into the United Kingdom. The Pooh.-It has frequently heeri remarked, that very few opportunities occur which call for the exercise of active benevolence, and that the " poor of the parish** are unknown. This is a state of happy independence peculiar to the colonies, arising from the circumstance of the industrious always obtaining employment, and receiving an ample reward for their labour. The absence of " poor of the parish or place," it would appear by the following decision of the Supreme Court at Sydney, renders the penal statutes inoperative in cases in which portions of the fines and penalties are given to the poor. This is a point equally applicable to this colony, for, as we have before noticed, we have no parish poor

Sydney. -The decision of the Supreme Court in the case of the Queen v. Schofield, that the laws against gaming cannot be applied in this Colony, because it is declared that one half of the fine shall go the "

poor of the parish or place," is very important. Their H onors hold that the poor of the place means the poor who are entitled to demand relief under poor laws, and that as there are no poor recognised by law in this colony, the Act cannot be enforced fiom want of machinery. By this decision, the whole of the penal statutes in force in England, in which portions of the fines and penalties are given to the poor, are rendered inoperative in this colony. On Saturday, Mr. Justice Burton observed, that the Court would be released from a great deal of difficulty were the Legislative Council to pass a short Bill declaring that wherever in an Act of Parliament it is ordered that any portion oí a penalty shall be given to the poor, it shall be given to the Benevolent Asylum.- Sydney Herald. Moorcrofl's Travels in Ladakh, Kashmir, tye. A Hint.-The floating gardens on the lakes for the production of melons and cucumbers are curious, and minutely described. They are composed of the thick-growing aquatic plants near the margins of the lake, cut off at a foot or two below the surface of the water, and pressed into close contact; there is then laid upon them a stratum of the tops ofsed»es, reeds, and other plants-and on these again a slight covering of mud; each bed is about six feet broad, and of an indefinite length. Moorcroft says he traversed about sixty acres of these floating beds, and saw not above half a dozen unhealthy plants; 'nor have I seen in the cucumber and melon grounds in the vicinity of very populous cities in Europe, or in Asia, so large an expanse of plant, in a state equally healthy,' Mr. Moorcroft gives a very minute description of the whole process of the shawl manufacture, of which it would be impossible for us to convey any idea within any reasonable compass, but Mr. Wilson states thatl the creation of the manufacture of British shawls Í3no doubt to be ascribed, in a great degree, if not solely, to Mr. Moorcroft, he having sent to England patterns of shawls, and information regarding their manufacture.' Their method of damasking sword blades, and of twisting gun and pistol barrels, for which the Kashmirians were once celebrated, is also given in full detail by Moorcroft; but this species of manufacture, like that of shawls, and indeed all other branches of industry,) is so enormously taxed, that if the system should be continued much longer, Kashmir must lose both entirely. In the mountains that enclose the valley of Kashmir are immense forests of that noble' tree the deodar pine (pinus deodaraj. The timber of this tree is extensively used in their temples, mosques, and buildings in general Such, says Moorcroft, is its durability, that in none of the 384 columns of the great mosque Jama Mu&jid

  • was any vestige of decay, from exposure or insects, to be discovered, although they have been erected above a century and a half, and have received, for some time past, very little care.' Most of the bridges over rivers and canals are con. 8tructed chiefly of this timber, and Moorcroft tells us that pieces taken from one of these '

were found little decayed, although exposed to the action of the water for* 400 years.' We are glad to find that this noble tree has been introduced, however tardily, into England. We understand that several hundred plants are now growing vigorously in Lord Harrington's park at Elvaston, and that specimens are to be found in several other places.-Quarterly Review, VOCABULARY OF THE ABORIGINAL LANGUAGE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. BY LIEUT. jGREY, OF H M. 83RD REGIMENT. (Continued) Kar-jut, to cut "

.

  • ¡Kar-ro-yool, to return hither stgaîn (Garro-. yool) Kar ie-jin, look out, take care, mind Kar-ro, again, more Ka-ta-ra, a

species of duck Kat-djo, a hammer, a hatchet Kat-ta, the head, a hill, the top of. anything Katta-moor-go, the brain Kat-tidge, to understand, to know, to reflect Kat-ting-ge-roo, a species of guana Kia, a northern word for an emu Kia-kia, an acclamation of surprise and.delight;. sometimes of gratitude Kian, no, not, nothing Ki-er-gul, a small species of snake Kij-jin-broon, a species of water fowl; tbe Dedar oke family, a branch of the Ngotacks, are said to be these birds transformed into men Ki ley, the curved weapon for throwing Kil-lin, the pudenda Kine, one Kin-nyok, enough, sufficient Kob-ul-lo, the stomach Ko-gyne, a root used for food by the, natives:. it resembles the warran Ko-ki-tilla, Ko-ko-rum, festering Kokul-yupg, a tuft of feathers worn as an ornament Ko-lail, the tea tree, or paper bark, tree Ko-lain, to deceive, to lie Ko-lain-ly, deceitfully Kól-bo-go, the Hottentot fig Kól-bo-go mun-gar-a, the leaves of the Hottentot fig Kól-ga, the hip Kól-le, a name Kolo, a verb denoting moti©n in general Ko-lo, a flea, a louse, vermin Ko-lo-nging, the south-west wind Ko-na, to void the excrement Ko-nack, a species of crawfish Ko-nang, the bowels, dung, excrement, Kood-geed, a species of tea tree Koo-la-ma, a species of water fowl.. Dton-dar-upo are said by the natives to be these birds formed into men,. Kool-boo, to cough * Koo-lin-da, the young ofthe kardar; "dardar nuba"

Koo-lin-goot, the youngest Kool ke, the hip, the.hipjojnt. Kool-ke-kan, to kick, to strike with the foot Koo-looy-in, the youngest brother of a family Koo-lyoo-rung, to beat incessantly. Koo lyum, to lie, to deceive Koom-bar, heavy, big: Koom bar dung, night Koom-boo, to make water; also the bladder Koon-am, successful in killing plenty of game Koon-da, a species of snake Koon-dail, young grass just springing up after a burning.

"

Gee-ne-toong-koondail" is often used in compound words to represent anything pointed like grass; as " da koondail," the tongue Koon-da-goore, a species of zamia growing near the coast Koon-de, a species of marsufrial rat Koon-do, a sore, a bile Koon-doo, the chest Koon-dum, to dream Koon-dyle, a species of fish Koon-ert, or Kwon-nat, a species of acacia very abundant on the banks of estuaries; it produces a great quantity of gum in the summer months Koon go, a path, or beaten way Koon-goore, a young woman who has attained the age of puberty Koon-yee, a kind of noolburn Koo-rag-a, a species of waterfowl Koor-bart, a small bird Koo-red-je-go, a root used for food by the natives Koor-geng-oon, sniveling with cold or fear Koorn-al, a species of opossum Koo-roo-ba, a root eaten by the natives, of a very large size Koort, the heart Ko-pil, sleep Ko pin, secretly, hidden; as " kopin-ejow," to hide Ko-po-tjun, to make a noise like the "gat-dara," a steamer Ko-rail, shells in general Kor-tda, apart, separately; " walluck-walluck"

Ko-ta-ju-me-no, the name given in the Murray River district to the Nagar-nook family Ko-tang, to carry in a bag