FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112  
113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   >>   >|  
uent communication with the natives: his description of them coincides, generally, with what has been recited in Marion's voyage. The most striking differences betwixt these people and those captain Cook had seen on the east coast of New South Wales, were in their language, in having no canoes, and in the different texture of the hair: in those it was "naturally long and black, though it be universally cropped short;" whilst in Adventure Bay, "it was as woolly, as that of any native of Guinea." * In these particulars, as in some others, they agreed with Dampier's description of the people on the North-west Coast, who were without canoes, and had woolly hair. [* See Cook's _Third Voyage_, Vol. I. p. 93-117.] The following articles, to the conclusion of PART I. of this Section, are placed somewhat out of their chronological order, for the convenience of classing together all the discoveries which had no connection with the British settlement in New South Wales. Those made in vessels from that settlement, or which may be considered as a consequence of its establishment, will compose PART II. in uninterrupted order. BLIGH. 1788. Captain William Bligh put into Adventure Bay with his Majesty's ship _Bounty_ in 1788, and with the _Providence_ and _Assistant_ in 1792; for the purpose of obtaining wood and water. These were procured with facility, as also plenty of fish; and many useful seeds and trees were planted. No discoveries being made here, beyond those of Furneaux and Cook, the reader is referred to captain Bligh's _Voyage to the South Seas_, P. 45 to 54, for his observations on the country and inhabitants. There is, however, one remarkable circumstance recorded of these people, which is, that when presents wrapped up in paper were thrown to them, "they took the articles out, and placed them on their heads;" a ceremony which is similar to that recorded by _Witsen_, of the inhabitants on the east side of the Gulph of Carpentaria. COX. 1789. The brig Mercury, commanded by JOHN HENRY COX, Esq., anchored at the entrance of a deep bay on the south side of Van Diemen's Land, on July 3, 1789. This bay was then first discovered, and lies N. by W. ten miles from the _Mewstone_.* The country was found to be agreeably interspersed with hills and vallies, and some of the hills were luxuriantly clothed with trees to their very summits. About four miles from the vessel, there was a stream of fresh water; and close to it
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112  
113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
people
 

Voyage

 

woolly

 
recorded
 
discoveries
 
settlement
 

country

 

Adventure

 

articles

 

inhabitants


canoes
 
description
 

captain

 

observations

 

vessel

 

luxuriantly

 

vallies

 

clothed

 

circumstance

 

summits


remarkable
 

planted

 

plenty

 
referred
 

presents

 
reader
 
Furneaux
 

stream

 

agreeably

 

entrance


facility

 

anchored

 
Diemen
 
discovered
 

commanded

 
thrown
 

interspersed

 

ceremony

 

similar

 

Mercury


Carpentaria

 

Mewstone

 
Witsen
 

wrapped

 
considered
 
whilst
 

native

 

Guinea

 
cropped
 

universally