Austral English Part 290

1859. A. S. Thomson, `Story of New Zealand,' vol. i. p. 236:

"Before the Wewis, as the French are now called, departed."

1873. H. Carleton, `Life of Henry Williams,' p. 92:

"The arrival of a French man-of-war was a sensational event to the natives, who had always held the Oui-oui's in dislike."

1881. Anon., `Percy Pomo,' p. 207:

"Has [sic] the Weewees puts it."

Wiwi/3, n. aboriginal name for a native weapon.

1845. Charles Griffith, `Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales,' p. 155:

"The wiwi is an instrument not so well known. It is composed of a long straight withy, about two feet long, to which is attached a head, made of a piece of wood four inches long, in the shape of two cones joined together at the base ...

This they strike against the ground, at a little distance to one side of them, whence it rises at right angles to its first direction, and flies with the swiftness of an arrow for about one hundred yards, and at a height of about ten feet from the ground."

Wobbegong, n. a New South Wales aboriginal name for a species of Shark, Cra.s.sorhinus barbatus, Linn., family Scyllidae; also known as the Carpet-Shark, from the beautifully mottled skin. The fish is not peculiar to Australia, but the name is.

Wobbles, n. a disease in horses caused by eating palm-trees in Western Australia.

1896. `The Australasian,' Feb. 15, p. 319:

"The palm-trees for years cost annoyance and loss to farmers and graziers. Their stock being troubled with a disease called `wobbles,' which attacked the limbs and ended in death.

A commission of experts was appointed, who traced the disease to the palms, of which the cattle were very fond."

Wolf, n. called also Native Wolf, Marsupial Wolf and Zebra Wolf, Tasmanian Tiger and Hyaena; genus, Thylacinus (q.v.).

It is the largest carnivorous marsupial extant, and is so much like a wolf in appearance that it well deserves its vernacular name of Wolf, though now-a-days it is generally called Tiger. See Tasmanian Tiger.

1891. `Guide to Zoological Gardens, Melbourne':

"The first occupants we notice in this cage are two marsupial wolves, Thylacinus cynocephalus, or Tasmanian tigers as they are commonly called. These animals are becoming scarce, as, owing to their destructiveness among sheep, they are relentlessly persecuted by run-holders."

Wollomai, n. the aboriginal name of the fish called Schnapper (q.v.). In 1875 a horse named Wollomai won the Melbourne Cup. Since then numerous houses and estates have been named Wollomai.

Wombat, n. a marsupial animal of the genus Phascolomys (q.v.). It is a corruption of the aboriginal name. There are various spellings; that nearest to the aboriginal is womback, but the form wombat is now generally adopted. The species are--the Common Wombat, Phascolomys mitch.e.l.li, Owen; Tasmanian W., P. ursinus, Shaw; Hairy-nosed W., P. latifrons, Owen.

1798. M. Flinders, `Voyage to Terra Australis (1814),'

Intro. p. cxxviii, `Journal,' Feb. 16:

"Point Womat, a rocky projection of Cape Barren Island, where a number of the new animals called womit were seen, and killed."

Ibid. p. cx.x.xv:

"This little bear-like quadruped is known in New South Wales, and called by the natives, womat, wombat, or womback, according to the different dialects, or perhaps to the different renderings of the wood rangers who brought the information ... It burrows like the badger."

1799. D. Collins, `Account of New South Wales (1802),'

vol. ii. p. 153 [`Ba.s.s's Journal,' Jan.]:

"The Wom-bat (or, as it is called by the natives of Port Jackson, the Womback,) is a squat, thick, short-legged, and rather inactive quadruped, with great appearance of stumpy strength, and somewhat bigger than a large turnspit dog."

1802. D. Collins, `Account of English Colony in New South Wales,' vol. ii. p. 156:

"In the opinion of Mr. Ba.s.s this Wombat seemed to be very oeconomically made."

18x3. `History of New South Wales' 0818), p. 431:

"An animal named a wombat, about the size of a small turnspit-dog, has been found in abundance in Van Diemen's Land, and also, though less frequently, in other parts of New South Wales. Its flesh has in taste a resemblance to pork."

1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,' vol. i.

p. 318:

"The wombat, a large animal of the size of a mastiff, burrowing in the ground, feeding on gra.s.s and roots and attaining considerable fatness."

1832. J. Bischoff, `Van Diemen's Land,' p. 175:

"The dogs had caught ... two badgers or woombacks."

1846. G. H. Haydon, `Five Years in Australia Felix,' p. 58:

"The Wombat is a large kind of badger, which burrows in the ground to a considerable depth, and is taken by the blacks for food; it makes a noise, when attacked in its hole, something similar to the grunting of a pig."

1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 129:

"Mere rudimentary traces (of a pouch) in the pig-like wombat."

1853. J. West, `History of Tasmania,' vol. i. p. 325:

"The Wombat, commonly called in the colony Badger (Phascolomys wombat, Peron.), is an animal weighing forty to eighty pounds, having a large body with short legs.

Notwithstanding its burrowing habits, and the excessive thickness and toughness of its skin, it is usually so easily killed that it is becoming less and less common."

1855. W. Blandowski, `Transactions of Philosophical Society of Victoria,' vol. i. p. 67:

"Wombat. This clumsy, but well-known animal (Phascolomys wombat), during the day conceals himself in his gloomy lair in the loneliest recesses of the mountains, and usually on the banks of a creek, and at night roams about in search of food, which it finds by grubbing about the roots of gigantic eucalypti."

1855. W. Howitt, `Two Years in Vic. toria,' vol. i. p. 211:

"The wombat resembles a large badger in the shortness of its legs, but has a little of the pig and the bear in its shape, hair, and movements."

1862. W. M. Thackeray, `Roundabout Papers,' p. 82:

"Our dear wambat came up and had himself scratched very affably... .

"Then I saw the grey wolf, with mutton in his maw; Then I saw the wambat waddle in the straw."

1880. Fison and Howitt, `Kamilaroi and k.u.mai,' p. 265:

"Wombat is cooked, then opened and skinned."