they keep time, the boat is pufhed along pretty fwiftly.
Their fail, which is feldom ufed, is made of a mat of a
triangular ihape, having the broadeft part above.
The only method of drefling their fiih, is by roailing, or
rather baking; for they are intirely ignorant o f the art of boiling.
In the fame manner they drefs the root, and part of
the ftalk, o f the large fern-tree, in a great hole dug for that
purpofe, which ferves as an oven. After which they fplit
it, and find, within, a fine gelatinous fubftance, like boiled
fago powder, but firmer. They alfo ufe another fmaller
fern root, which feems to be their fubflitute for bread, as it
is dried and carried about with them, together with dried
fiih in great quantities, when they remove their families,
or go far from home. This they beat with a flick till it
becomes pretty foft, when they chew it fufficiently, and
fpit out the hard fibrous part, the other having a fweetiilx
mealy tafte not at all difagreeable.
When they dare not venture to fea, or perhaps from
choice, they fupply the place of other fiih with mufcles and
fea-ears; great quantities of the ihells of which lie in
heaps near their houfes. And they fometimes, though
rarely, find means to kill rails, penguins, and ihags, which
help to vary their diet. They alfo breed confiderable numbers
o f the dogs, mentioned before, for food ; but thefe
cannot be confidered as a principal article of diet. 'From
whence we may conclude, that, as there is not the leaft
fign of cultivation of land; they depend principally for their
fubfiilence on the fea, which, indeed, is very bountiful in
its fupply.
Their method of feeding correfponds with the nafiinefs
o f their perfons, which often fmell difagreeably from the
quant i ty
quantity of greafe about them, and their clothes never be-
ing waihed. We have feen them eat the vermin* with
which their heads are fufficiently flocked.- .
They alfo ufed to devour, with the greatefl eagemefsr
large quantities of {linking train oil, and blubber of feafs,
which we were melting at the tent, and had kept near two
months j and, on board the ffiips, they were not fatisfied'
with emptying the lamps, but actually fwallowed the cotton,
'and fragrant wick, with equal voracity; Ir is worthy of notice,
that though the inhabitants of Van Diemen’s land appear
to have but a fcanty fubfiilence, they would not even
tafte our bread, though they faw us eat i t ; whereas thefe
people devoured it greedily, when both mouldy and rotten.
But this muft not be imputed to any defedl in their fenfa-
tions; for I have obferved them throw away things which
we eat, with evident difguft, after only fmelling to them.
They ffiew as much ingenuity, both in invention and'
execution, as any uncivilized nations under fimilar cir-
cumftances. For, without the ufe of any metal tools’,
they make every thing by which they procure their fubfift—
ence, clothing, and warlike weapons, with a degree of
neatnefs, ftrength, and convenience for accomplifhing their
feveral purpofes. Their chief mechanical tool is formed
exadtly after the manner of our adzes; and is made, as are
alfo the chiifel and goudge, of the green ferpent-ftone or
jafper, already mentioned; though fometimes they are com-
pofed of a black, fmooth, and very folid ftone. But their'
mafter-piece feems to be carving, which i§ found upon the-
moft trifling things; and, in particular, the heads of their
canoes are fometimes ornamented with it in fuch a manner,,
as. not only iliews much defign, but is alfo an example oftheir