being flopped up, that they fometimes refort to the rivulets and to the jypte,
fea for provifions. On this account,-it was Confidered rather extraordinary, ■
that the bones of the fifties on which they had fed were no where to be
found ; and this led to a fuppofition that thofe which their endeavours enabled
them to procure were very fmall. It appeared ftill more extraordinary
that, fince they.drew a certain proportion of their food from the fea,
■ theylhould not have difcovered fo excellent a part’o f its produce as oyfterS
and clams ; notwithftanding that the latter fhow themfelves on the beaches
over which they muft frequently walk; and that the former at low water
require only wading half-leg deep on the Ihoals that extend from the
main land to gather in a few minutes a day’s fubfiftence. Neither did it appear
that they had any knowledge of thefe, the limpets, nor any: other fhell
filh found amongft the rocks ; or if they had, for fome reafon not eafily to
be imagined, they certainly made no ufe of them ; otherwife their fhells in
all human probability would have been feen near the places o f their re-
fort. Hence it may naturally be inferred, that. the land principally
fupplies their wants, or hunger would long fince have conduced
them to fuch excellent refources. This opinion is fupported by the extreme
Ihynefs of the feathered creation, and the wildnefs of the quadrupeds,
whofe footing, and the other figns of their being at no great diftance
without our obtaining any fight of them, fufficiently proved that they
were conftantly purfued. This circumftance may furnilh a probable eon-
jefture on the caufe of the very extraordinary devaftation by fire, which
the vegetable produftions had fuflered' throughout the whole country we
traverfed. Fire is frequently reforted to by rude nations, either for the
purpofe of encouraging a fweeter growth of herbage in their hunting
grounds, or as toils for taking their wild animals, of which they are in
purfuit. When the foreft is fet on fire for fuch purpofes in a dry feafon,
its ravages may become very extenfive; and the inflammatory quality of .
the gum plant, which is here in great abundance, may operate to promote
that general havock which we obferved in the vegetable kingdom.
The deftruHive operations of fire were, however, evident in places
where the gum-plant was not found for a confiderable diftance; and,
pofitively fpeaking, in our excurfion on Ihore, we did not fee a fpot
that