Ltr 3 Dec. 1791 Phillip to Sir Joseph Banks, A81 (FM4/1752), Banks Papers, Volume 18Botanical and Horticultural, 1789-1796, pp.33-44 (41-43). ‘It was a matter of great surprise to me when I first arrived in this Country to find that the words used by the natives when you was here, were not understood by the present inhabitants, but in my last little journey, I found on the banks of the Hawkesbury, people [42] who mad use of several words we could not understand, & iut soon appear’d that they had a language different from that used by those natives we have hitherto been acquainted with. They did not call the Moon, Yan-na-dah, but Con-do-ion, & they called the Penis Bud-da, which our natives call Ga-diay. ‘Two of those natives* who have lived amongst us for some time were with us, & it was from them that we understood, our new friends had a language different from theirs, but which they appear’d to have some knowledge of, had they known it well, I think they would have conversed in it, which they never attempted, but only explained to us, the two or three words which we had taken notice of. ‘ I now think it very probable that [43] several languages may be common on different parts of the Coast, or inland, & that some tribe may have driven away the people you found on this part of the Coast. ‘Of the language of those natives who live amongst us, we know very little, but if we are not mistaken in what one of them told us the other day, there is a tribe to the Southward, who eat the flesh of their enemies, but I repeat [?] it, those who know most know very little of the language. ‘I think that my old acquaintance Bennillon will accompany me when ever I return to England & from him when he understands English, much information may be attained, for he is very intelligent.’ * Colbee & Boladeree: accompanied Phillip on his [last] trip, 11-16 April 1791, to Richmond and Tench’s Prospect Mount. See Tench, 223-34, 323-4. ------------- JS LIST LOCATION: