Austral English Part 263

"Shading a brook the tea-trees grew, Spangled with blossoms of whitish hue, Which fell from the boughs to the ground below, As fall from heaven the flakes of snow."

1885. R. M. Praed, `Australian Life,' p. 112:

"The bottle-brush flowers of the ti-trees."

1888. Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, `Select Extra-Tropical Plants,' p. 221:

"The somewhat aromatic leaves of Liscoparium (Forster) were already in Captain Cook's Expedition used for an antis...o...b..tic Tea, hence the name tea-tree for this and some allied plants."

1888. D. Macdonald, `Gum Boughs,' p. 76:

"The intrusive ti-tree... . The dark line of ti-tree in the foreground ..."

1889. T. Kirk, `Forest Flora of New Zealand,' pp. 235, 236:

"Leptospermum scoparium, Forster, the Manuka.

... It is commonly termed `tea-tree' by the settlers, but must not be confounded with the `ti' or `toi' of the Maories, which is a handsome palm-lily, Cordyline australis, often termed `cabbage-tree' by the bushmen."

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 38:

"Leptospermum scoparium, Tea Tree. It is said that this is the shrub the leaves of which were utilized by the crews of Captain Cook's s.h.i.+ps for the purpose of making `tea,' and that they were also used with spruce leaves in equal quant.i.ty for the purpose of correcting the astringency in brewing a beer from the latter. It is exceedingly common about Sydney, so large quant.i.ties would therefore be available to the sailors.

Species of this genus are exceedingly abundant not far from the coast, and the leaves would be very readily available, but the taste of the infusion made from them is too aromatic for the European palate."

[In Maiden's admirable book slips are very rare. But he is mistaken here in the matter of the abundance of the tree at Sydney having any reference to the question. Captain Cook had but one s.h.i.+p, the Endeavour; and it never entered Port Jackson. It is true that L. scoparium was the tree used by Cook, but he was then at Dusky Bay, New Zealand, and it was there that he used it. See quotations 1777 and 1877.]

1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 24:

"The well-known Melaleuca Leucadendron, called by the colonists tea-tree, from which is extracted what is known in medicine as cajeput oil."

1893. `The Australasian,' Jan 14:

"The ti-tree on either side of the road was in bloom, its soft, fluffy, creamy bushes gathering in great luxuriance on the tops of the taller trees, almost hiding the green."

1893. `The Argus,' April 29, p. 4, col. 4:

"There was many a shorthorned Hereford hidden in the innermost recesses of that tick and sand-fly infested ti-tree that knew not the cunning of a stockman's hand."

1894. `Melbourne Museum Catalogue--Economic Woods':

"No. 133, Coast tea-tree, Leptospermum laevigatum, F. v. M. No. 142, Swamp tea-tree, Melaleuca ericifolia, Smith."

Teetee. Same as Ti-Ti (q.v.).

Telopea, n. scientific name of the genus containing the flower called the Waratah (q.v.), from the Greek taelowpos, `seen from afar,' in allusion (as the author of the name, Robert Brown, himself says) to the conspicuous crimson flowers. The name has been corrupted popularly into Tulip, and the flower is often called the Native Tulip.

1835. Ross, `Hobart Town Almanack,' p. 110:

"The beautiful crimson flowering shrub, with dark green rhododendron-like leaves, which grows in the upper region of Mount Wellington... . The generic name is derived from telopos, seen at a distance. It has been corrupted into tulip tree, to which it bears not the least resemblance."

Tena koe, a Maori salutation used in North Island of New Zealand. Lit. "That is you," and meaning "How do you do?"

Tena and Tera both mean `that'; but tena implies the idea of nearness, `that near you,'

tera the idea of distance, `that (or there) away yonder.' Hence, while Tena koe is a welcome, Tera koe would be an insult.

Tench, n. slang term, used during the days of transportation, for the Hobart Town Penitentiary, or Prisoners'

Barracks--a corruption of "'tentiary," which is for Penitentiary. It is now obsolete.

1859. Caroline Leakey, `The Broad Arrow,' vol. ii. p. 32:

"Prisoners' barracks, sir--us calls it Tench."

Teraglin, n. a fish of New South Wales, Otolithus atelodus, Gunth. The name Teraglin is stated to be aboriginal. Sometimes called Jew-fish (q.v.).

Thickhead, n. the name applied to the Australian birds of the genus Pachycephala (q.v.).

They are often called Thrushes. The species are--

The Banded Thickhead Pachycephala pectoralis, Vig. and Hors.

Black T.-- P. melanura, Gould.

Gilbert's T.-- P. gilbertii, Gould.

Grey-tailed T.-- P. glaucura, Gould (confined to Tasmania).

Lunated T.-- P. falcata, Gould.

Olivaceous T.-- P. olivacea, Vig. and Hors. (confined to Tasmania).

Pale-breasted T.-- P. pallida, Ramsay.

Plain-coloured T.-- P. simplex, Gould.

Red-throated T.-- P. rufigularis, Gould.

Rufous-breasted T.-- P. rufiventris, Lath.

Shrike-like T.-- Pachycephala lanoides, Gould.

Torres-straits T.-- P. fretorum, De Vis.

Western T.-- P. occidentalis, Ramsay.

White-throated T.-- P. gutturalis, Lath.; called also the Thunder-bird (q.v.).

1890. `Victorian Statutes--Game Act' (Third Schedule):

"Thick-heads. [Close season.] From the first day of August to the twentieth day of December next following in each year."