, as they could not fly when pursued, but ran
exceedingly fast; so much so, that a very strong and fleet
greyhound could not come near them: one was shot, which gave us
an opportunity of a more close examination. Some were of opinion
that it was the emew, which I think is particularly described by
Dr. Goldsmith, from Linneus; others imagined it to be the
cassowary, but it far exceeds that bird in size; it was, when
standing, seven feet two inches, from its feet to the upper part
of its head; the only difference which I could perceive, between
this bird and the ostrich, was in its bill, which appeared to me
to be narrower at the point, and it has three toes, which I am
told is not the case with the ostrich: it has one characteristic,
by which it may be known, and which we thought very
extraordinary; this is, that two distinct feathers grew out from
every quill*. The flesh of this bird, although coarse, was
thought by us delicious meat; it had much the appearance, when
raw, of neck-beef; a party of five, myself included, dined on a
side-bone of it most sumptuously. The pot or spit received every
thing which we could catch or kill, and the common crow was
relished here as well as the barn-door fowl is in England.

[* See an elegant engraving of the Cassowary in
Phillip's Voyage.]

Of insects there are as great a variety here as of birds; the
scorpion, centipede, spider, ant, and many others; the ants are
of various sizes, from the smallest known in Europe, to the size
of near an inch long; some are black, some white, and others, of
the largest sort, reddish; those of this kind are really a
formidable little animal; if you tread near the nest, (which is
generally under ground, with various little passages or outlets)
and have disturbed them, they will sally forth in vast numbers,
attack their disturbers with astonishing courage, and even pursue
them to a considerable distance; and their bite is attended for a
time with a most acute pain. Some build their nests against a
tree, to the size of a large bee-hive; another kind raises little
mounts on the ground, of clay, to the height of four feet.

In speaking of the spider, it would be improper to be silent
upon the industry of this little creature; I call them little,
although, if compared with our common spider, they are very
large; they spread their web in the woods between trees,
generally to a distance of twelve or fourteen yards, and weave
them so very strong, that