Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 67

This is a very Superior Native grass Seed, & is about the Size of a pin head, it is glossy & Smooth as Canary seed, & is of a light brown Colour it is made use of by the Natives in a prepared State as Wicki or bread - they display Considerable ingenuity in grinding it, some by bruising it between two stones & others by forming a hole in hard brick Clay in the Shape of a funnel wide at the top, & narrow at bottom, they grind this Seed in this Mill by turning a hard wood Stick round the edges. This Seed forms a principal part of the food of Some of the Northern tribes who bake the flour into cakes.

The seed got from the Savannahs of the Barwan is of a Superior description. The cultivation of this Superior Native grass Seed may be well worth the attention of the Colonists, it might Succeed better in many localities than imported Seed, at all events it deserves a fair trial - The Coolies from India name this Seed the Sawa Chena, they say that it is Cultivated in India & it is Made use of there as bread when ground into flour. This seed is sown there if fields, it is afterwards reaped & cleaned with a thrashing machine.

FISH IN THE RIVERS

The Barwan is the principal river of this district, on this river the Aborigines construct fish pools or traps, these occupy altogether the breadth of the river.

These fish pools may be Said to be twenty yards broad by one hundred yards in length, the individual pools varying from two to ten yards in length. The Aborigines chose a favorable Spot where a natural dam of rock lies across the Stream upon this line of rock they pile up Stones about two feet high, Sufficiently Strong to withstand the heavy floods which occasionally roll down the river. Some are oblong & Some tapering towards the lower end, continued So as to admit the fish easily & then force them into Straits where they are caught without difficulty During freshets great numbers of fish are thus Caught. The fish Caught in the western rivers of this district are Cod, Bream, Crawfish & a very choice Species which the blacks call "Ducki"

THE CULGOI

This bird is remarkably like our Common domestic fowl, they are about the Size of a bantam almost black, and lay white eggs, This bird visits the Barwan river during the months of October, November & December, & may receive this name from the river Culgoa which is Situated about fifty or Sixty miles to the Westward of the Barwan. The Settlers on the Barwan find this fowl to be as delicate food as the European fowl.

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 67

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 67

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