In falling up the river, the points and fliores prefent an appearance
o f fertility that aftonilhes an eye ufed to thofe of the rocky harbours of
New South Wales. They are moftly graded as well as wooded clofe
down to the water fide, the wood, perhaps, thin; the grafs every
where thick, every where a dark luxuriant vegetation, that, either
from the thinnefs o f the wood, or the gradual rounding of the
hills and points, is vifible to a very confiderable extent o f ground.
The tides run fo uncommonly rapid, that if the port were colonized,
and the principal town built, ,as it no doubt would be, near
the entrance, the produce o f the villages and farms fcattered along,
its banks might be brought to market with the greateft eafe, expedition,
and certainty. .
The heavy timber is chiefly gum tree o f various fpecies ; o f which
two. are different from any that have been yet feen in this country.
Nothing new was obferved in the quality o f the wood; but,, from
the few trees that were felled, it was thought to be more found at
heart than they are ufually met with. The the oaks were more inclined
to fpread than grow tall. The fmaller trees and Ihrubs refemble, with
fome variety, thofe o f the continent*. The tree producing the
yellow, gum is o f a very diminutive fize; but, unlike that of Cape
Barren Illand, it bears a reed correfpondent to itfelf. Thefe were
going into flower, and their length was only from nine inches to
two feet f .
The fevv rocky fliores of the river prefented nothing remarkable,
being generally either o f a rough iron-ftone, or a foft grid-ftone.
• * Mr. Pennant allows its claim to this diOinflion. Vide Pennant’s “ Outlines o f the
Globe.” '
t This dwarf gum tree is of much ufe to the natives of New South Wales, as maybe feen.
by the following diftribution of its properties. The gum from the body o f the trie, which
they term Goolgad-ye, is ufed for repairing their canoes. O f the reed they make a fk.gig>:
which they call Moo.ting. Of- the grafs or ruihes 'which grow, at the top of the: tree,! they:
make torches, named Boo-do. A gum which they extrafl from thefe ruihes, and which is
named Wang-ye, they ufe in fattening the joints of their (pears; and from the cfcnter of
the tree they procure a loathfome worm, which they call Boo-roo-gal, and deem a great iit f t
hry. The tree itfelf is named Ye-gal.
1 6 7
•The grey kangooroo o f a very large fize, abounded in the open
foreft; the brulhes were tenanted by the fmaller black kind, or, as
it is named by the natives of Port Jackfon, the’Wal-li-bah.
The plumage o f the parrots forms a gloomy contrail with the rich
luftre o f thofe near the fettlement, their colours being rather grave
than gay.' The melancholy cry o f the bell-bird (dil boong, after
which Ben-nil-long named his infant child) feems to be unknown
here.. Many aquatic birds, both web-footed and waders,
frequent the arms and coves o f the river; but the black fwans alone
are remarkable in point o f number. Mr. Bafs once made a rough
calculation o f three hundred fwinjming'within the fpace of a quarter
o f a mile fquare; and heard the “ dying fong” of lome fcores ; that
fong, fo celebrated by the poets of former times, exactly refembled
the creaking o f a rally fign on a . windy d a y ! Not more than two
thirds o f any o f the flocks which they fell in with could fly, the
reft could do no more than flap along upon the furface' o f the
water, being either moulting, or hot yet come to their full feather
and growth, which they require two years to attain. They fwam and
flapped alternately, and went along furprifingly fall. It was fome
times a long chafe, but the boat generally tired them out. When
in danger, and fpeed makes no part o f their efcape, they immerfe
their bodies fo far, that the water makes a paffage between their
neck and back, and in this pofition they would frequently turn
afide a heavy load o f Ihot. They feemed .to be endowed with
much fagacity ; in chafe they foon learned the weakell point o f
their purfuers, and, inllead o f fwimming diredlly from them,- as
they did at firll, always endeavoured in the moll artful manner to
gain the wind, which could only be prevented by anticipating their
movements, and by a dexterous management o f the boat.
The fwan is faid to feed upon filh, frogs, and water-flugs:; but'
in the gizzards o f many that at different times and in different
places were examined by Mr. Bafs, nothing ever appeared but final!
Water plants, moftly a kind o f broad leaved grafs, and fome little
fancfe