James Dawson

Australian Aborigines James Dawson

A number of years ago there appeared in the columns of the Australasian newspaper a short account of the language of one of the native tribes of the Western District of Victoria, written by my daughter, whose long residence in the Port Fairy district, and intimate acquaintance from - infancy with the aboriginal inhabitants of that part of the colony, and with their dialects, induced her to publish that sketch. Some time afterwards our attention was directed to the formation of a vocabulary of dialects spoken by aboriginal natives of Australia, and a request was made that she 'would assist in collecting and illustrating all connected with their history, habits, customs, and languages.' In undertaking so interesting a work, our intention was to publish the additional information in the columns of the Australasian; but, finding it to be too voluminous for that journal, it was resolved to present it to the public in its present shape.