We had no sooner halted and given them something to eat than they began to play ten thousand tricks and gambols.

They imitated the leaping of the kangaroo; sang, danced, poised the spear and met in mock encounter.

But their principal source of merriment was again derived from our misfortunes, in tumbling amidst nettles, and sliding down precipices, which they mimicked with inimitable drollery.

They had become, however, very urgent in their inquiries about the time of our return, and we pacified them as well as we could by saying it would be soon, but avoided naming how many days.
Their method of testifying dislike to any place is singular: they point to the spot they are upon, and all around it, crying 'weeree, weeree' (bad) and immediately after mention the name of any other place to which they are attached (Rose Hill or Sydney for instance), adding to it 'budyeree, budyeree' (good).

Nor was their preference in the present case the result of caprice, for they assigned very substantial reasons for such predilection: "At Rose Hill," said they, "are potatoes, cabbages, pumpkins, turnips, fish and wine; here are nothing but rocks and water." These comparisons constantly ended with the question of "Where's Rose Hill?
Where ?" on which they would throw up their hands and utter a sound to denote distance, which it is impossible to convey an idea of upon paper.
Thursday, April 14th, 1791.