"`Quart-pot' tea, as tea made in the bush is always called, is
really the proper way to make it. . . . The tea is really
made with boiling water, which brings out its full flavour, and
it is drunk before it has time to draw too much."
<hw>Quartz</hw>, <i>n</i>. a mineral; the common form of native
silica. It is abundantly diffused throughout the world, and
forms the common sand of the sea-shore. It occurs as veins or
lodes in metamorphic rocks, and it is this form of its presence
in Australia, associated with gold, that has made the word of
such daily occurrence. In fact, the word <i>Quartz</i>, in
Australian mining parlance, is usually associated with the idea
of <i>Gold-bearing Stone</i>, unless the contrary be stated.
Although some of the following compound words may be used
elsewhere, they are chiefly confined to Australia.
1871. C. L. Money, `Knocking About in New Zealand,' p. 21:
"Quartz is the mother of gold, and wherever there is an
abundance of it, gold may reasonably be expected to exist
somewhere in the neighbourhood."
1890. `The Argus,' June 16, p. 6. col. 1:
"Two runaway apprentices from a ship are said to have first
crushed quartz."
1890. R. A. F. Murray, `Reports and Statistics of the
Mining Department [of Victoria] for the Quarter ending 31st
December':
"The quartz here is very white and crystalline, with
ferruginous, clayey joints, and--from a miner's point of
view--of most unpromising or `hungry' appearance."
<hw>Quartz-battery</hw>, <i>n</i>. a machine for crushing
quartz, and so extracting gold.
1890. `The Argus,' July 26, p. 4, col. 4:
"There was a row [noise] like a quartz-battery."
<hw>Quartz-blade</hw>, <i>n</i>. blade of a miner's
knife used for picking lumps of gold out of the stone.
1891. `The Argus,' Dec. 19, p. 4, col. 2:
"They had slashed open his loins with a quartz-blade knife."
<hw>Quartz-crushing</hw>, <i>adj</i>. See <i>Quartz</i>.
1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Miner's Right,' c. xxxix. p. 341:
"The dull reverberating clash of the quartz-crushing
batteries."
<hw>Quartz-field</hw>, <i>n</i>. a non-alluvial goldfield.
1890. `The Argus,' June 16, p. 6, col. 1:
"Our principal quartz-field."
<hw>Quartz-lodes</hw>, and <hw>Quartz-mining</hw>.
See <i>Quartz</i>.
1880. G. Sutherland, `Tales of Goldfields,' p. 32:
"He chose the piece which the New North Clunes now occupy for
quartz-mining; but the quartz-lodes were very difficult to
follow."
<hw>Quartz-reefer</hw>, <i>n</i>. a miner engaged in
<i>Quartz-reefing</i>, as distinguished from one digging
in alluvial. See above.
<hw>Quartz-reefing</hw>, <i>n</i>. (1) The operation of
mining. See <i>Reef</i>, verb. (2) A place where there
is gold mixed with quartz.
1861. Mrs. Meredith, `Over the Straits,' c. iv. p. 133:
"You'd best go to a quartz-reefin'. I've been surfacing this
good while; but quartz-reefin's the payinest game, now."
1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Miner's Right,' c. xxix. p. 263:
"[He] had located himself in a quartz-reefing district."
<hw>Queensland</hw>, <i>n</i>. a colony named after the Queen,
on the occasion of its separation from New South Wales, in
1859. Dr. J. D. Lang wanted to call it "Cooksland," and
published a book under that title in 1847. Before separation
it was known as "the Moreton Bay District."
<hw>Queensland Asthma-Herb</hw>, <i>n</i>.
See <i>Asthma-Herb</i>.
<hw>Queensland Bean</hw>. <i>n</i>. See <i>Bean</i>.
<hw>Queensland Beech</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Beech</i>.
<hw>Queensland Ebony</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Ebony</i>.
<hw>Queensland Hemp</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Hemp</i>.
<hw>Queensland Kauri</hw>, <i>n</i>. another name for
<i>Dundathu Pine</i>. See <i>Kauri</i> and <i>Pine</i>.
<hw>Queensland Nut</hw>, <i>n</i>. a wild fruit-tree,
<i>Macadamia ternifolia</i>, F. v. M., <i>N.O. Proteaceae</i>.
1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 40:
"`Queensland Nut.' This tree bears an edible nut of excellent
flavour, relished both by Aborigines and Europeans. As it forms
a nutritious article of food to the former, timber-getters are
not permitted to fell the trees. It is well worth extensive
cultivation, for the nuts are always eagerly bought."
<hw>Queensland Nutmeg</hw>, <i>n</i>. a timber-tree,
<i>Myristica insipida</i>, R. Br., <i>N.O. Myristiceae</i>.
Not so strongly aromatic as the true nutmeg.
<hw>Queensland Plum</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Plum, Sweet</i>.
<hw>Queensland Poplar</hw>, <i>n</i>. See under <i>Poplar</i>.
<hw>Queensland Sorrel</hw>, <i>n</i>. a plant, <i>Hibiscus
heterophyllus</i>, Vent., <i>N.O. Malvaceae</i>, chewed
by the aborigines, as boys chew English Sorrel.
<hw>Queenwood</hw>, <i>n</i>. a timber-tree, <i>Davidsonia
pruriens</i>, F. v. M., <i>N.O. Leguminosae</i>.
<hw>Quince, Native</hw>, <i>n</i>. i.q. <i>Bitter-bark</i>,
<i>Emu-Apple</i>, and <i>Quinine-tree</i>, all which see.
<hw>Quince, Wild</hw>, <i>n</i>. another name for the <i>Black
Ash-tree</i>. See <i>Ash</i>.
<hw>Quinine-Tree</hw>, <i>n</i>. i.q. <i>Horseradish Tree</i>
(q.v.), and used also for the <i>Bitter-bark</i> or
<i>Emu-Apple Tree</i> (q.v.).
<hw>Quoll</hw>, <i>n</i>. the aboriginal name for the <i>Native
Cat</i> (q.v.), but not now in use.
1770. J. Banks, `Journal,' Aug. 26 (edition Hooker, 1896),
p. 301:
"Another animal was called by the natives <i>je-quoll</i>;
it is about the size of, and something like, a pole-cat,
of a light brown, spotted with white on the back, and white
under the belly. . . . I took only one individual."
Ibid. p. 323:
"They very often use the article ge, which seems to answer to
our English <i>a</i>, as <i>ge gurka</i>--a rope."
[In Glossary]:
"Gurka--a rope." /?/
R
<hw>Rabbiter</hw>, <i>n</i>. a man who lives by trapping
rabbits, or who is employed to clear stations from them.
1892. E. W. Hornung, `Under Two Skies,' p. 114:
"He would give him a billet. He would take him on as a
rabbiter, and rig him out with a tent, camp fixings, traps,
and perhaps even a dog or two."
<hw>Rabbit-rat</hw>, <i>n</i>. name sometimes given
to a<i>hapalote</i> (q.v.), in New South Wales.
<hw>Radish-Tree</hw>, <i>n</i>. an Australian timber-tree,
<i>Codonocarpus cotinifolius</i>, F. v. M.,
<i>N.O. Phytolaceae</i>; called also <i>Poplar</i>
in Central Australia.
1894. `Melbourne Museum Catalogue--Economic Woods,' No. 61:
"Radish-Tree: occurs in the Mallee-scrub very sparingly;
attaining a height of thirty feet. The poplar of the Central
Australian explorers. Whole tree strong-scented."
<hw>Rager</hw>, <i>n</i>. an old and fierce bullock or cow,
that always begins to rage in the stock-yard.
1884. Rolf Boldrewood, `Melbourne Memories,' c. xiv. p. 105:
"Amongst them was a large proportion of bullocks, which
declined with fiendish obstinacy to fatten. They were what are
known by the stockriders as `ragers,' or `pig-meaters'"
[q.v.].
1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. xvi. p. 196:
"Well, say a hundred off for ragers.'"
<hw>Rail</hw>, <i>n</i>. common English birdname. There are
many varieties in New Zealand and Australia, especially in the
former colony, and the authorities differ as to whether some
should be classed as distinct species. Some are common to
Australasia, others endemic in New Zealand or Australia; their
distribution in this respect is marked below in parentheses.
Several species receive more than one vernacular name, as the
following list shows--
Banded Rail (N.Z. and A.)--
<i>Rallus philippensis</i>, Linn.
Chestnut-bellied R. (A.)--
<i>Eulabeornis castaneiventris</i>, Gould.
Dieffenbach's R. (see quotation below)--
<i>Rallus dieffenbachii</i>, Gray.
Hutton's R. (N.Z.)--
<i>Cabalus modestus</i>, Hutton.
Land R. (N.Z. and A.)--
<i>Rallus philippensis</i>, Linn.
Marsh R. (Australasia)--
<i>Ortygometra tabuensis</i>, Finsch. and Hard.
Pectoral R. (N.Z. and A.)--
<i>Rallus philippensis</i>, Linn.
Red-necked R. (A.)--
<i>Rallina tricolor</i>, Gray.
Slate-breasted R. (A.)--
<i>Hypotaenidia brachipus</i>, Swains.
Swainson's R. (N.Z. and A.)--
<i>Rallina brachipus</i>, Swains.
Swamp R. (Australasia)--
<i>Ortygometra tabuensis</i>, Finsch. and Hard.
Tabuan R. (Australasia)--
<i>O. tabuensis</i>, Finsch. and Hard.