th shore in
the first sandy Cove within the Island, before which the Ship might lay
almost land locked, and wood for fuel may be got everywhere. Although
wood is here in great plenty, yet there is very little Variety; the
bigest trees are as large or larger than our Oaks in England, and grows a
good deal like them, and Yields a reddish Gum; the wood itself is heavy,
hard, and black like Lignum Vitae. Another sort that grows tall and
Strait something like Pines--the wood of this is hard and Ponderous, and
something of the Nature of America live Oak. These 2 are all the Timber
trees I met with; there are a few sorts of Shrubs and several Palm Trees
and Mangroves about the Head of the Harbour. The Country is woody, low,
and flat as far in as we could see, and I believe that the Soil is in
general sandy. In the Wood are a variety of very beautiful birds, such as
Cocatoos, Lorryquets, Parrots, etc., and crows Exactly like those we have
in England. Water fowl is no less plenty about the head of the Harbour,
where there is large flats of sand and Mud, on which they seek their
food; the most of these were unknown to us, one sort especially, which
was black and white, and as large as a Goose, but most like a Pelican.*
(* Most probably the Black and White or Semipalmated Goose, now
exterminated in these parts.) On the sand and Mud banks are Oysters,
Muscles, Cockles, etc., which I believe are the Chief support of the
inhabitants, who go into Shoald Water with their little Canoes and peck
them out of the sand and Mud with their hands, and sometimes roast and
Eat them in the Canoe, having often a fire for that purpose, as I
suppose, for I know no other it can be for. The Natives do not appear to
be numerous, neither do they seem to live in large bodies, but dispers'd
in small parties along by the Water side. Those I saw were about as tall
as Europeans, of a very dark brown Colour, but not black, nor had they
woolly, frizled hair, but black and lank like ours. No sort of Cloathing
or Ornaments were ever seen by any of us upon any one of them, or in or
about any of their Hutts; from which I conclude that they never wear any.
Some that we saw had their faces and bodies painted with a sort of White
Paint or Pigment. Altho' I have said that shell fish is their Chief
support, yet they catch other sorts of fish, some of which we found
roasting on the fire the first time we landed; some of these they strike
with Gigs,* (* A fishing implement