wished to see him climb it. He readily understood them, and
making a notch in the tree with his, instrument, placed his foot
into it, continuing . the same practice ; , thus he very nimbly
ascended to the top, though the tree was of a great thickness;
and without branches that could "assist him in the ascent to the
height of forty feet. From this tree he removed to another, by
which he descended, and passing hastily through the bushes,
was soon out of their sight, The natives have hatchets of their
own, formed with sharp stones, and which they use .for the same
purpose, and I have indeed remarked that many of the treei
are notched. Colonel Paterson, whose long residence in New
Holland, and curiosity of observation, has enabled him to dei
cide upon questions of this nature, declared that be never met
with a native who differed so widely from the rest.pf the New
Hollanders* I t will probably appear to my Readers, that we
have as yet but an imperfect knowledge of the natural pros
ductions of the neighbourhood of Sydney, and of its aboriginal
inhabitants. This man appeared in a state o f perfect
nakedness, and was without the mark of the ornament described
by Colonel Collins, of a stick thrust through the cartilage of
the nose, of which he bore no mark. As there is thought to be
a chain in Creation, beginning with the Brute and ending with
Man, were I inclined to pursue the notion, I should be^at a loss
where to place my Bush Native, whether as the next link above
the. monkey, or that below it.
I already mentioned the Frances having been dis->
patched with a lading of coals and timber for Sydney* on- the
26th: she had on board a quantity of ash sawed out in proper
lengths ^ making oars, which, from the trial we had made,, it
appeared to be better adapted for than the pine of Norfolk
Island. This latter wood, though lighter, being very brittle, so
that oars made of it are often broken short off. The ash cut on
Ash
Ash I s la n d # not, indeed, so Meht as, English ash, but it must
be considered as a valuable acquisitioh in a country where the
greatest part of the timber, hitherto'discOveredyi#bf that:heavy
nature aS to- sink,iii water.
About this -time"! Was -joined by a party which had «been sent
several miles up the rite rin order to cut cedar for Mr. Commissary
Palmer. Thes® men, finding their stock of provisions running
short, had set off with an intention of-reaching«Sydney by
land; but Seeing our vessel from the height's, they Cfeahged their
resolution and came to us. They were nine in number, and
made no little addition to those under my command ; tWd of
them were Sick, and these -1 sent to Sydney oh board' ther
schooner, and would Hdve ordered the rest to have made their
passage b y ‘the same' Conveyance, bu t not b’emg abld tB^spare a
guard with *I~did.not think it Safe; as they had discovered
evident ’marks of a depraved arid-irregular disposition, rfibm the
time‘their stomachs Were filled.
I nowj stent -my carpenter and some hands ori/shoife ;to build a
large commodious hut for the use of the Colliers, whose labour
went -on briskly. Birds of -various kinds WdNrdriily brought-in/
many of which were new toms, and among the rest a spedfesmf
che-k6w.! This bird- is larger, than that o f Britain- ; its ; feMhe/S
a r e a mixture-of light brown and grey. We saw many of? the
hawk kind, and dhd%iparticular, eommorily k©em; about' the
coast, which preys on fish, 'rThe goat, sneker and-snip® are like-
wisledbund here n%f'-fbur-footed arirtnals there Was no plenty—«
tHe ofmssum, the flying-squirrel, and !§dme others were
allfwl’^w .' Fish was’taken idgrteat qUaritfties, and1 of vaneus
kinds, particularly mullets, Which-were large and Well fl&youred.
Welcaught also a speeiessof -jew fish,- one of whioKlwfeigned '56
pounds, and proved .excellent eating? From* the"numbers of
this