fp e ats , w h ic h are th row n w i th am a z in g fo rce and v e lo c ity . I hav e
n o ticed tw o o r th re e m en w i th fp e ck s on on e e y e , and once at B ro k en
B a y faw in a canoe an old man w h o w a s p e r fe f t ly blind. H e w a s accom
p an ied b y a y o u th w h o paddled his canoe, and w h o , to m y g rea t
fu rp r ife , fat b eh in d h im in it. T h is m a y , h ow e v e r , be in co n fo rm ity
to th e id ea o f r e fp e f t w h ic h is a lw a y s paid to old age.
T h e co lou r o f thefe p eop le is no t u n ifo rm . W e h a v e feen fome
w h o , e v en w h e n cleanfed from th e fm o k e and filth w h ic h w e re a lw a y s
to b e fo u n d on th e ir p erfons, w e re n e a r ly as bla ck as the A f r ic a n
n e g r o ; w h ile others h a v e e x h ib ited o n ly a co p p e r o r M a la y colour.
T h e n atu ral c o v e r in g o f th e ir heads is n o t "wool as in m o il o th e r bla ck
p e o p le , b u t h a ir ; th is p a r ticular m a y be remembered in the tw o nativ
e s w h o w e r e in th is c o u n t r y , B en -n il- lo n g and Y em -m e r - ra -w a n -n ie .
T h e fo rm e r , on h is re tu rn , b y h a v in g fome attention p aid to his d refs
w h ile in L o n d o n , w a s fo u n d to h a v e v e r y lo n g bla ck hair . B la c k in deed
w a s th e g en e ra l co lo u r o f th e h a ir , th o u g h I h a v e feen fome o f a
red d ifh c a l l ; b u t b e in g u n a c com p an ied b y a n y p e rcep tib le diffe rence
o f c om p le x io n , it w a s p erhap s more the e ffe c t o f fom e o u tw a rd caufe
th a n its natural appearance.
T h e i r n ofes are flat, n o ftrils w id e , e y e s m u ch fu n k in the head , and
co v e red w i th th ic k e y e b r o w s ; in ad d ition to w h ic h , th e y w e a r tied
ro u n d th e h ead , a net the bread th o f th e fo reh ead , made o f th e fu r o f
th e o p u ffum , w h ic h , w h e n w ilh in g to fe e v e r y c le a r ly , I h a v e ob-
fe rv ed th em d raw o v e r th e e y e b row s , th e r e b y co n tra c tin g th e light..
T h e i r lips are th ic k , and th e m ou th e x tra v a g a n t ly w id e ; but w h e n
o pen ed d ife o v e r in g tw o row s o f w h ite , e v en , and fo u n d teeth. M a n y
h a d v e r y p rom in en t ja w s ; and th e re w a s one man w h o , but fo r th e
g i f t o f Ipeech, m ig h t v e r y w e ll h a v e paffed fo r an o ran g-outan g. H e
w a s rem a rk ab ly h a i r y ; his arms appeared o f an u n com m on le n g t h ; in
h is g a it h e w a s n o t p e r fe c t ly u p r ig h t ; and in h is w h o le m anner
feemed to h a v e m ore o f th e brute and lefs o f th e h um an fpecies ab ou t
h im th an a n y o f h is co u n trym en . T h o fe w h o h a v e been in that
c o u n t r y w i ll, from th is ou tlin e o f h im , recoiled ; old W e - ra h n g .
No. III.
H A B I T A T I O N S .
T h e i r habitations are as rud e as im a g in a tion can co n c e iv e . T h e h u t
o f the w o o dm an is made o f the b a rk o f a Ang le tree, b ent in th e m id d
le , and placed on its tw o ends on th e g ro u n d , a ffo rd in g Ihelter to o n ly
one miferable tenant. T h e fe th e y n e v e r c a r r y ab out w i th th em ; fo r
w h e re w e fo u n d the h u t, w e co n fta n tly fo u n d th e tree from w h ic h it
had been taken w ith e re d and dead. O n th e fea-coaft th e h uts w e r e
la rg e r , fo rm ed o f p ieces o f b a rk from fe v e ra l trees p u t to g e th e r in th e
fo rm o f an o v en w i th an en tran ce , and la rg e en o u g h to h o ld f ix o r
e ig h t peop le. T h e i r fire w a s a lw a y s at the m ou th o f th e h u t, ra th e r
w i th in th an w i th o u t ; and th e in te r io r w a s in g en e ra l th e naftieft fm o k e -
dried place th a t cou ld be co n c e iv ed . T h e i r un fe rv ice a b le canoes w e r e
c om m o n ly bro k en u p and ap p lied to this ufe. B e fid e th e fe b a rk h u ts ,
th e y m ad e ,u fe o f ex ca v a tio n s in th e r o c k ; and as th e fituations o f the fe
w e r e v a r io u s , th e y cou ld a lw a y s ch o o fe th em o u t o f the ‘rea ch o f w in d
and ra in. A t the m ou th s o f the fe e x ca v a tio n s w e n o tic ed a lu x u r ia n c y
o f f o i l ; and on tu rn in g u p th e g ro u n d , fo u n d it r ich w i th fhells and
o th e r manure. T h e fe p ro v ed a v alu a b le re fource to u s , and m an y loads
o f fhells w e r e b u rn t in to lim e , w h ile th e o th e r parts w e r e w h e e led in to
o u r gardens.
W h e n in th e w o o d s I fe ld om m e t w i th a h u t, b u t at th e m ou th o f it
w a s fo u n d an an t’ s n e ft, th e d w e l lin g o f a tribe o f in fe f is ab ou t an
in ch in len g th , armed w i th a p a ir o f fo rcep s an d a f lin g , w h ic h th e y
ap p lied , as m a n y fo u n d to th e ir co ft, w i th a fe v e r ity equa l to a w o u n d
made, b y a kn ife . W e . c o n je fh ir e d , th a t the fe V e rm in had been d raw n
to g e th e r b y the bones and fra gmen ts o f a v en ifo n fea ft, w h ic h h ad been
le ft b y the hunter.
In th e ir h uts and in th e ir caves th e y lie d o w n in d ife r im in a te ly m ix e d ,
m en , w om en , and ch ild ren to g e th e r ; and ap p ear to poffefs un d e r th em
m u ch the fame e n jo ym e n t as m a y be fu p p o fed to b e fo u n d b y the brute
beaft in h is d en , Ihelter from th e w e a th e r , and, i f n o t difturbed b y e x ternal
enemies, the com fo r t o f fleep.
4 B 2 T h e