Page:A Descriptive Vocabulary of the Language in Common Use Amongst the Aborigines of Western Australia.djvu/9

 had bestowed much attention on the aborigines, and who spoke the language with a fluency nearly equal to their own, was appointed to the office of interpreter, and was thenceforth generally employed as a recognized medium of mutual communication in all public matters, whether of explanation, negotiation, examination, or prosecution. At length, in the year 1838, that able and talented officer, Lieutenant (now Captain) G. Grey, Governor of South Australia, whilst resting from his labours of exploring the country, turned his attention to this subject, in compliance with the spirit of the instructions under which he was acting, and compiled a vocabulary, which was published in the colony in the shape of a pamphlet. This was subsequently republished in Lon- don, with the addition of some words, chiefly peculiar to the locality of King George's Sound. These will be found marked with the letters (K.G.S.), as those con- tributed by the Messrs. Bussel, of the Vasse River settlement, have been marked with the word (Vasse). To him we are certainly indebted for the first publica- tion of anything approaching to a correct list of the words of this Australian dialect; and any future attempts of the same nature can only be considered as a more expanded form of his original work. Without that vocabulary it is probable that the present would not have been undertaken. This vocabulary is founded upon that of Captain Grey, but is in a much enlarged