here, had little of that fierce or
wild appearance common to people in their situation; but, on the
contrary, seemed mild and cheerful, without reserve or jealousy of
strangers. This, however, may arise from their having little to lose or
care for."

"With respect to personal activity or genius, we can say but little of
either. They do not seem to possess the first in any remarkable degree;
and as for the last, they have, to appearance, less than even the
half-animated inhabitants of Terra del Fuego, who have not invention
sufficient to make clothing for defending themselves from the rigour of
their climate, though furnished with the materials. The small stick,
rudely pointed, which one of them carried in his hand, was the only
thing we saw that required any mechanical exertion, if we except the
fixing on the feet of some of them pieces of _kangooroo_ skin, tied with
thongs; though it could not be learnt whether these were in use as
shoes, or only to defend some sore. It must be owned, however, they are
masters of some contrivance in the manner of cutting their arms and
bodies in lines of different lengths and directions, which are raised
considerably above the surface of the skin, so that it is difficult to
guess the method they use in executing this embroidery of their persons.
Their not expressing that surprise which one might have expected from
their seeing men so much unlike themselves, and things, to which, we
were well assured, they had been hitherto utter strangers; their
indifference for our presents; and their general inattention; were
sufficient proofs of their not possessing any acuteness of
understanding."

"Their colour is a dull black, and not quite so deep as that of the
African negroes. It should seem also, that they sometimes heightened
their black colour, by smutting their bodies; as a mark was left behind
on any clean substance, such as white paper, when they handled it. Their
hair, however, is perfectly woolly, and it is clotted or divided into
small parcels, like that of the Hottentots, with the use of some sort of
grease, mixed with a red paint or ochre, which they smear in great
abundance over their heads. This practice, as some might imagine, has
not the effect of changing their hair into the frizzling texture we
observed; for, on examining the head of a boy, which appeared never to
have been smeared, I found the hair to be of the same kind. Their noses,
though not flat, are broad and full. Th