lans, by the terms
Gull, Taury Gull, or Uroga Gull, &c. They are very expert with their
implements of war, which are spears made of reed, pointed with crystal
or fish bone; they have a short club made of iron wood, called a
waday, and a scimeter made of the same wood. Those inhabiting the
coast have canoes; but the largest I ever saw would not hold more than
two men with safety.

Their marriage ceremony is truly romantic; all the youth of a clan
assemble, and are each armed with wadays; they then surround the young
woman, and one seizes her by the arm, he is immediately attacked by
another, and so on till he finds no combatant on the field, and then
the conquering hero takes her to his arms.

The different kinds of game which the colony produces, are several
kinds of kangaroos, of the same species, but differing in size and
colour. Beasts of prey have never been seen in the colony. The birds
are, parrots, cockatoos, and a large one called _emus_, which have
very long legs and scarcely any wings; they in general live upon fern,
and weigh from seventy to eighty pounds; there are likewise a number
of black swans. The woods abound with a number of dangerous reptiles,
such as centipedes and scorpions.

Government not being disposed to receive all our convicts, we were
taken up to proceed to Van Diemen's Land, with a crew of two hundred
convicts, besides a detachment of one hundred and sixty rank and file
of his Majesty's 46th regiment of foot. We sailed from hence, and
arrived at Van Diemen's Land after a pleasant passage of six days.

Van Diemen's Land is situated south of the Cape of New Holland, and is
a dependency under the control of the Governor-General. Here is a
Deputy-Governor, who resides at the principal town, called Hobart's
Town, situated about thirty miles up the Derwent; it is a town at
present consisting of small cottages, or huts, built of wood, and with
but few free inhabitants. The soil of the country is good; but there
is a very inconsiderable trade. The Derwent runs ninety miles due west
up the country. North of the Derwent, about twenty miles, is Frederick
Henry's Bay, an immense deep bay, with good anchorage and shelter for
shipping; and north-west of Henry's Bay is another fine river, called
Port Dalrymple; it runs south-west ninety miles inland; at the head of
it is a town, called Launceston; the inhabitants are principally
convicts, and are employed in clearing the land for government. The
nati