lible_of the inconvenience, or they would have found out fome means to have
removed it j for neceflity is the mother of invention. We faw but few of their
houfes, and thofe few were moftly deferted, their inhabitants having forfaken them
through fear of us, who, doubtlefs, appeared as itrange kind of beings to them
as they did to us.
We faw many beautiful parrots, and birds of various kinds, one in particular
that had a note very much like our blackbird j but we found no ground fowl, or
domeftic poultry. O f quadrupeds we faw no other than dogs, which were like
thofe on the iiland of Otaheite, and of them but a few, though it cannot be
fuppofed that fo large a country, as this appears to be, ihould be deilitute of deer,f
and other kind of four-footed animals.
This bay abounds in a variety of fifh, particularly ihell and cray-fiih j fome of
the latter, which we caught, weighed eleven pounds j thefe are found- in great
plenty, and feemed to be the principal food of the inhabitants, at this feafon of the
year, though they have a kind of fern, the roots of which, roafted, make a
good fubllitute for bread, efpecially when their Koomarra is young and unfit
for ufe.
Moft of the rocks, which are many on the fea ihore, are c'ompofed of a fandy
ftone, through which the furf had worn feveral paflages. One of them, in particular
j was very romantic, it had the appearance of a large arch which led from
the fea-fide into the vallies, and through it ran a ftream of water.. The whole
formed a very uncommon view, [fefc ph XX.] peculiarly .{hiking to a curious
fpedtator.
From the view which we had of the coaft, and the obferv&tipns made, we
might judge that the country is well fituated, naturally fertile, and capable o f great
improvement by cultivation, efpecially as the climate is diftinguiihably mild and
favourable.