1770, under the aufpices: a f Captain Cook. It was in this voyage
that Mr. Banks (afterwards. Sir Jo/epbJ and dodior Solander, were
T r o p i c B i r d , f r i s philoibphical companions. A tropic bird was feen in Lat.
38° 29', an uncommon fight, as it very rarely exceeds the limits
of the tropica. Proceeding northward, he paffed by a mountain
he called the Dromedary. On the tiwenty-feventh, he ohferved
the wondering natives colledled on the rocks, in admiration o f
B o t a n y B a y . the novel figh t; and on the 28th anchored in Botany Bay, of
later years well known, as the common retreat o f the unfortunate
brave!
N a t i y e s . T h e natives o f thefe parts differed very little from thofe obferved
in the more fouthern latitudes. There can be no doubt
but our appearance was very hoftile; they were diffident o f us to
the higheft degree, declined all intercourfe, and refufed all our
prefents: our navigators certainly did not ufe the arts of conciliating
their affedtions.. After frequently treating them with a
volley o f finall fhots- on- their legs, or more mufcwlar parts, we
are not to wonder at their diflike to the ftrangers who had vifitedi
their coafts. Their wants; by reafon of the happinefs of the
climate, did- nut demand cloathmg, and their minds were fu-
perior to the accepting o f gew-gaws; but they were frequently
preffed by hunger.
In Endeavour river; they boldly came on board the ihip, and
feeing plenty o f turtle, wilhed to have a ihare; they feized on
two, trufting to the rites o f hoipitality, or the j-uft-ice-of partaking
of the provifions found in their awn feas (to which they had a
natural title); inftead o f that they were roughly treated, and lb
highly irritated, as to take an iaftant revenge, by fetting fire to
fhe grafs that furrounded our tents : they were brave to a degree
o f temerity; two have been known to oppofe the landing of
-forty o f our people : their offenfive weapons were fwords made of
fome hard wood, and darts or lances, armed at the end with filhes
bones, or the fpine o f the fting rays; their defenfiye arms a
round buckler. They were painted like the people o f Van
Diemen's land, and as an additional ornament, had a great bone of
fome bird ftuck through their nofes, and another through each
ear, Mr. Parkinfon gives a good reprefentation in plate xxvii. o f
two o f the natives armed for fight, and in the attitude o f combat
: as to cloathing, neither fex made the leaft attempt to conceal
their nakednefs.
T h e s e people, favage as they may feem, are not ignorant of
the rudiments o f drawing; Mr .Phillip* obferved on many of
the rocks figures o f animals, fliields, weapons, and even men ;
and one in particular o f a man beginning to dance; and this in
rather a fuperior ftyle : furely it muft be admitted that people
thus tincftured with a liberal art, are capable of civilization under
proper treatment.
W h a t religious rites they have is unknown, but it is evident,
from the fame authority +, that they burn their dead.
T h e i r habitations are moft miferable ; they lie under the pro-
teaion o f fome great pieces o f bark flung over a ridged frame,
made o f boughs o f trees f.
T h e i r food are fiih, ihell fiih, or any thing they can collea
on. the ihores. They have a moft artlefs fpecies o f canoe,
made o f bark, ftretched on a frame, and tied together at each
* Voy. to Botany Bay, p. 106. f lb . p. 138, j lb . p. 152, tab. 9.
P a - end;