ver saw. Cockles and Clams of several sorts, many of those that are
found upon the Reefs are of a prodigious size, Craw fish, Crabs, Muscles,
and a variety of other sorts. Here are also upon the Shoals and Reefs
great Numbers of the finest Green Turtle in the world, and in the River
and Salt Creeks are some Aligators.

[Australian Natives.]

The Natives of this Country are of a middle Stature, streight Bodied and
Slender limb'd; their Skins the Colour of Wood soot, their Hair mostly
black, some Lank and others curled; they all wear it Cropt Short; their
Beards, which are generally black, they likewise crop short, or Singe
off. There features are far from being disagreeable, and their Voices are
soft and Tunable. They go quite Naked, both Men and Women, without any
manner of Cloathing whatever; even the Women do not so much as cover
their privities, altho' None of us was ever very near any of their Women,
one Gentleman excepted, yet we are all of us as well satisfied of this as
if we had lived among them. Notwithstanding we had several interviews
with the Men while we lay in Endeavour River, yet, wether through
Jealousy or disregard, they never brought any of their women along with
them to the Ship, but always left them on the Opposite side of the River,
where we had frequent Opportunities viewing them thro' our Glasses. They
wear as Ornaments, Necklaces made of Shells, Bracelets, or Hoops, about
their Arms, made mostly of Hair Twisted and made like a Cord Hoop; these
they wear tight about the upper parts of their Arms, and some have
Girdles made in the same manner. The Men wear a bone, about 3 or 4 Inches
long and a finger's thick, run thro' the Bridge* (* The cartilage of the
nostril. Banks mentions that the bluejackets called this queer ornament
the "spritsail yard.") of their Nose; they likewise have holes in their
Ears for Ear Rings, but we never saw them wear any; neither are all the
other Ornaments wore in Common, for we have seen as many without as with
them. Some of these we saw on Possession Island wore breast plates, which
we supposed were made of Mother of Pearl Shells. Many of them paint their
Bodies and faces with a Sort of White paste or Pigment; this they apply
different ways, each according to his fancy.

Their offensive weapons are Darts; some are only pointed at one end,
others are barb'd, some with wood, others with Stings of rays, and some
with Sharks' Teeth, etc.; these last are stuck fast on with