mentioned
hereafter, as well as from every other observation, there seems no
reason to suppose these people cannibals; nor do they ever eat animal
substances in a raw state, unless pressed by extreme hunger, but
indiscriminately broil them, and their vegetables, on a fire, which
renders these last an innocent food, though in their raw state many of
them are of a poisonous quality: as a poor convict who unguardedly
eat of them experienced, by falling a sacrifice in twenty-four hours
afterwards. If bread be given to the Indians, they chew and spit it
out again, seldom choosing to swallow it. Salt beef and pork they like
rather better, but spirits they never could be brought to taste a second
time.

The only domestic animal they have is the dog, which in their language
is called Dingo, and a good deal resembles the fox dog of England. These
animals are equally shy of us, and attached to the natives. One of them
is now in the possession of the Governor, and tolerably well reconciled
to his new master. As the Indians see the dislike of the dogs to us,
they are sometimes mischievous enough to set them on single persons
whom they chance to meet in the woods. A surly fellow was one day out
shooting, when the natives attempted to divert themselves in this manner
at his expense. The man bore the teazing and gnawing of the dog at his
heels for some time, but apprehending at length, that his patience might
embolden them to use still farther liberties, he turned round and shot
poor Dingo dead on the spot: the owners of him set off with the utmost
expedition.

There is no part of the behaviour of these people, that has puzzled us
more, than that which relates to their women. Comparatively speaking we
have seen but few of them, and those have been sometimes kept back with
every symptom of jealous sensibility; and sometimes offered with every
appearance of courteous familiarity. Cautious, however, of alarming the
feelings of the men on so tender a point, we have constantly made a rule
of treating the females with that distance and reserve, which we judged
most likely to remove any impression they might have received of our
intending aught, which could give offence on so delicate a subject. And
so successful have our endeavours been, that a quarrel on this head
has in no instance, that I know of, happened. The tone of voice of the
women, which is pleasingly soft and feminine, forms a striking contrast
to the rough guttural pronunciat