and by admitting a torrent o f water, threatened fpeedy deftruc-
tion to the whole crew. The riling tide, which might remove
her oat o f the prefent fituation, redoubled the anxiety, for probably
ihe would then inftantly link into the depth o f ten or
twelve fathoms. A thought fuggelfed by Mr. Monkhoufe, a
young midfhipman, faved them from délirait ion ; he advifed the
dropping a fail, covered with oakum and wool, over the oiitfide,
and hauled under the fhip’s bottom with ropes till 'it reached
the leak; they ‘ executed his plan, and from the fuction
o f the fail by the water, into the moft dangerous o f the
leaks, the fhip was enabled to keep afloat, When it was releafed
from the rock by the tide, and the redeemed, to get into
a fecure place to repair the damagé. On this critical occa-
fion, not an oath was heard among our failors ; the habit of
profanenefs, however itrong, being inftantly fubdued, by the
dread o f incurring guilt when death feemed to be fo near. A
gentleman then aboard mentioned to me one eifed o f fear,
that of being feized with a molt intolerable thirft; but as foon
as their fafety was enfured, their minds and their bodies returned
to their wonted tones. No cape or river was diftinguifhed by
the title of Providence, or any gratefdl mémorial. Mr. Hawkf~
worth, in his own mind, feems to have-been confcious (bat fome-
thing, ought to have been faid ; his wondrous apology in his
wondrous preface, is certainly the greateft wonder that the world
ever wondered-at. In the préfacé, in the pages xix, x x. xxi.
may be feen the ftrange embarraffments that a good man
labors under, when he compliments his;patrons with his eon-
fcience, and fervilely gives up the caufe of truth.
. A NEIGHA
n eigh bo rin g river, in Lat. i6° 30', with a fine beach fit
for heaving down, and completing the repairs o f the battered!
fhip for the purfuit o f the voyage, might have received an
epithet fuitable to the occafion : inftead o f that we find it only
under the cool title o f the Endeavour river.
T h e natives appeared in this place,; their,canoes were made of
a tree hollowed, like thofe o f Guinea, and other artlefs parts o f the
world. Thefe were capable o f holding four people.
T h e Kangaroo is: found here, pollibly it extends over every
part. The Suolla, Hi/1,. 3&ad. ii, N" 270, was-feen here. Thecom-
monEngli/b crow was obferyed near this river, and a great variety
of other birds'-; On the fhores were numbers pf the fine green
turtles, o f vaft fizes ; and the Gigantic,Chamce,. which I have
before mentioned. Our Englijh Mullet, Br. Zool. iii. N° 158, is
met with here. In the rivers and fait creeks were alligators or
crocodiles.
, T h e Ter met deJlruSior makes its curious neft in the trees o f
this country. A black fpecies, which artfully works out the
pith o f the branches of a tree, and finds fecure fhelter in the
hollow, were common, liumphius, ii. 257, found the fame fpecies
in the branches o f the Arbor regis in Amboina,
A nother kind is like the white; ant o f the Eaft Indies;. it
forms two forts o f retreats; one o f the fize o f a man’s head,
fufpended in clufters from, the boughs o f a tree, made o f agglutinated
fragments o f vegetables,- containing innumerable cells.
Thefe are moft fully inhabited; and have communications with,
each other, and the nefts themfelves with, all the reft which
are fufpended on the fame tree. Thefe again, have another
avenue.
E n d e a v o u r
R iver.
T ermesI