of them look fair and good to the eye,, and appear fufficient
to make a mail for the krgeft fhip ; but, when cut down,
they are fcarcely convertible to any ufe whatever. ‘ At the
heart they are full of veins, through which an amazing
quantity of an aftringent red gum ilfues. This gum I
have found very ferviceable - in an obftinate dyfentery that
raged at our firft landing, and ftill continues to do fo,
though with iefs obftinacy and violence. When thefe
trees are fawed, and any way expofed to the fun, the gum
melts, or gets fo very brittle, that the wood falls to pieces,
and appears as. if the pieces had been joined together with
this' fubftance. How any kind of houfes, except thofe built
of'the cabbage trefe, can be mfed up, the: timber beitfg fo
exceedingly bad, it is impoflible to determine.
I have already faid that the ftone o f this country is well
calculated for building^; , could any -kind'
found to keep them together. As for limje-ftone, we have
not yet^dilcovered any in the country; rand theftfells
colle&ed for that purpofe have been but inconfiderahle.
From Captain Gopk’ s account, one would be led to fuppofe
that oyfter and cockle fhells might be procured in fuch
quantities,/ as to make a fuffieiency o f lime; fer the
purpofe
purpofe of cpnftruâing at Tèaft a few public buildings ;
but this is by no means .thé cafe. That great,navigator,
notwithftanding his ufual accuracy and candour, was
certainly too kvifti of his praifes on Botany Bay.
The peculiarity 1 have mentioned relative to the wood
of this place is ftrange. There are only three kinds of it,
and neither of them will float, on the/ water. We have
found another reftn here, not unlike the balfam Tolu in
fmell and effeâ, but differing widely in colour, being of a
dear yellow, which exudes Troth the tree.
is not to .be .met with in fuch quantities^ as .the red gw®,
before mentioned, nor do I think that its medicinal virtues
are by any means fo powerful. A kind of earth has been
difeovered which makes good bricks, but we ftill are in
want of a cement for them as well as for the ftonèi
.What'animals we have yet met with hâve been moftly
of the Opofthm kind. TheTtarigaroo, fe/very accurately
delineated foy ?£aptain Cook, is ; certainly ©f that dais* and
the largeft animal feed in the country. One htaheen. brought
into camp which weighed a hundred and forty-nine pounds.
See plate annexed. The conformation -of' this- animal is
peculiarly fengniar, Its hinder parts .have gucat irmfenlar
■ -A'ai;-2, power,