144 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [1799.
the edges o f the ponds, and by the fides o f the occafional drains
that fupply them with the frelh part o f their water.
Both hill and valley produce large timber and brufh-wood of various
heights; upon the hills, the brufh grows in fmall clumps;,
while in the vallies it not only covers the w'hole furface, but is alfo
bound together by creeping vines, o f every fize between fmall twine
and a feven inch hawfer.
In the S. W. corner o f the bay, is a lagoon, or fmall inlet, that
communicates with the fea, through the beach at the back o f which
it lies. The chain o f hills here runs back to fome little diftance from
the water, and leaves a few fquare miles o f rather good ground,
through which the inlet was found to take its courfe in a winding
direction to the S. W. for fix or eight miles, where it ends in
fmall fwamps and marlhes. Large boats might enter this place at
a third flood, and proceed to the farther part of it. Upon its banks
from five to feven hundred acres o f a light fandy foil might be
picked out, in patches o f from fifty to a hundred acres each; but
on the fide next the mountain it foon became ftoney, and on that
next the lagoon it was wet and fait.
The country along the back o f the bay lies in rounded ftoney
hills fcarcely fit for pafturage, but covered with timber, and patches
of ihort brulh.
On the fouth fide was another fhallow inlet, larger than that on
the S. W. running in by the end o f a beach, and winding along to
the S. S. W. with little or no cultivable or low ground upon its
borders. The returning tide did not allow time enough to proceed
to the head o f it.
On the eaftern fide, the hills being neither fteep nor prominent,
fome extenfive Hopes o f tolerably good, though fandy foil, have been
formed. Several which extended to the water, being well covered
with grafs and thinly fet with timber, had a pleafing appearance
from the bay, and refembled fome of the moft beautiful parts o f
Mount
J a n u a r y . ] OF N EW SOUTH WALES. 145
Mount Edgecumbe, near Plymouth. Speaking generally o f the
land round the bay, it might be faid to be much more barren than
productive ; that there are feveral patches o f tolerably good, and fome
few o f excellent foil; but by far the greater part is incapable o f
cultivation, and fit only for pafturage.
The moft common timber is a fort o f gum tree, the bark of
which along the trunk is that of the iron bark o f Port Jackfon ; and
its leaf, that o f the blue gum tree; but its branches toward the
head are o f a yellow colour, fmooth, and refembling the barked limbs
o f trees. The wood is longer grained, and more tough, fplitting eafier
and more true than any other fpecies o f the gum tree.
The natives are, in perfon,fimilar to thofe living about Port Jackfon,
but their language was perfedly unintelligible. They ufed canoes,
o f which they feemed very careful; for on his rowing round the
point o f Snug Cove, when Mr. Bafs was on his firft vifit to this bay
in the whale boat, a party of them paddled haftily on fhore, taking
their canoes upon their heads, and running off with them into
the woods. They, however, did not appear fo fhy o f their vifitors
now as they had formerly been; and there was reafon to believe
that a friendly intercourfe might have been eafily eftablifhed with
them.
Not meeting with any grafs trees, and the few fpears that were
feen being made o f folid wood, it may be conjectured, that the
light grafs reed fpear ufed by the natives o f Port Jackfon is
unknown among thefe people, as well as the ufe of the throwing-
ftick.
But very few marks o f the kangooroo were feen. Both quadrupeds
and birds appeared to be lefs numerous here than in other
places. The dogs found a porcupine ant-eater, but they could make
no impreffion on him; he efcaped from them by burrowing in
the loofe land, not head foremoft, but finking liimfelf direcily
downwards, and prcfenting his prickly back oppoled to his ad-
verfaries.
v o t . 11. u There