Page:The Aborigines of Victoria and Riverina.djvu/148

143 entirely ignorant) other than that of flight, she stalked majestically up to the courtenies, bowed gracefully, and wished them "good day;" the salutation having been politely reciprocated by the courtenies she proceeded to account to them for her unlooked-for presence—"For ever so long it has afforded me much pleasure watching your usual avocations in the swamps, and the wonderful aptitude which you display in capturing the fine fat fish and frogs with which they seemingly teem, has met with my unbounded admiration; and, really, the unaffected gusto with which you gobble them when caught has made my beak water on many occasions. Your music, too, to which I have greedily listened with the utmost rapture, surpasses every sound I ever heard, and you excel so in dancing that in watching your frequent performances I have been so carried away by sheer excess of delight that I have caught myself on more than one occasion endeavouring to tread a measure in the air, taking your finished example as a guide, but, of course, failure to a most lamentable degree was the unvarying result. Now, should you not object, I shall be highly pleased if you will condescend to instruct me in all these wonderful accomplishments. Without doubt this is a great deal for a stranger, such as I am to you, to ask, but really I am so enamoured of all your graceful acquirements, as well as being most anxious to feed on the dainty produce of these inviting marshes, that I would almost undergo any amount of privation; yes, indeed, I would even endure considerable physical pain to gain my end. And the mere face of my having overcome the hereditary pride of the kurwie race so far as to place myself under an obligation to