N e w H olland.'
'
Face of the
Country.
River*,
Lakes, and
Mountain*.
hotj bill the: tlltnate-w&s allowed to be fine and falubrious. T h e rains
were heavy, appearing to fall chiefly about the full and change o f the
m o o n ; and at intervals there were ftorms o f thunder and lightning.
In Norfolk ifland there is what may be called a ra in y feafon, from February
to Auguft. As 'th e fouth is"in this hemifphere tflmiegion of
cold, there m u d be great difference in the temperature o f this wide continent
‘i wliich may alfti’be affected as ufual b y chains o f mountains, and
other cirCumftances1 y e t undifcovcred.
I t would be idle to attempt any delineation o f the general afpe£t o f
this country, o f w hich we only know th e mere fkirts and extremities ;
fo that a traveller who had landed a t Breft, and infp'eEted' a fmall ppr-
tion of Bretagne, might as welT afpire to give an acddunt o f Europe,
while in fa£t he knows but little of France. T h e fmall particle known
f e em s hilly, b ut not mountainous," partly covered with tall trees clear
from underwood ; which laft however coyers extenfive.trads towards
the Ihores,.. in which large fwamps alfo occur.8 T h e foil ’’around Bo-
tany Bayi is black and fat, and fertile of plants, whefiee the name
arofe; but thefiTfavourable appearances were countera&ed by great
difadvantages. Gonfiderable quantities o f maiz and wheat have fince
been railed, particularly on Norfolk iflan d ; and it is to be hoped that
when experience has indicated the proper means, this may be rendered
a productive country .
Concerning the rivers, lakes, and mountains o f N ew Holland there is
little information, but they may probably be difcovered to T e on a very
large and extenfive fcale. A chain of mountains is laid to ru n N. and
S. between 50 and 60 miles inland, b u t not eafily accelfihlf on account
o f numerous deep ravines. Bafaltxc columns often a p p e a r; and in
Howe ifland they rife' to fuch a height as to be vifible at the diflance of
twelve leagues. Mr. Tennant reprefents the timber o f the forefts as
brittle and entirely ufelefs; but this defeCt may be remedied by plantations,
European, fruit trees having already profpered greatly j and its is
probable that the interior regions may prelent a vegetation very diffe-
® Pennant’s Outlines, iv. 108 ; but this excellent naturalift feems prejudiced againft the country
and the colony.
rent from that of the .coaft. It is reafonably .inferred1 that 'the vine N ew H o t -
might be planted with great fuccefs. htt' m ns >, i - mmi
Th is wide eddnlry >f»reftmts a ‘^ fe c filia tk y ^ sth e ^h im aM ^ moflly o f Zoology,
the oppffum kind, and leaping habitually upon the hind legs : the chief ,
in tizê'is ‘thé kahgooifooulprbé MftfllW are é^g^nT, T tftte native
dogs are of the chacal kind, and never hark ; they are of two colours-
black, or white with tinges of red, and fome are very' handfom’e.7
Among the few other quadrupeds, yet defcriBed are weazels and ant-
eaters, wjith that fingylar animal .thg-dudc^uHed plally&us, in which nature
feems to delight in tranfgreffing her ufual law, the jaws of a qua- 1
druped being elongated into the complete bill of .-a bird. Among (the
bir^p arè> the hrowia^ fey eraL faleqns, and many) elëgiwt1 parrots*
ravens, crows, a large king-filher : there are alfo buftards and partridges*
with fome pigeons.- A n ew kirfff cff-cafibwary'Jnijift, n o t1 b e Omitted*
faid tq;,be feven feétj in le n g th :8 it is pof,uhicotómön* and the flefft
talles like *h<eef._ Among the aquatic;birds are thedaeron, a kind of, ibis
or curlew, and gigantic pelicans. T h e re are alfo peculiar ducks and
geefe £: an d the black ,|wan is a rg.re’ progeny o f th e “ new tó n n n éh t.
“ It is iy flze fuperior to the white. T h e bill is Of a rich fear let'; near
thg tip, is a fntall yeflow Ippt. T h e whole plumage o f the moll intenfe '
black,;except,the.primaries and f t c o h d a r i e s ; a r e , eyes .
black, the.;feet d u lk y : it,is found in Hawklbury river, and, other, freftt
waters near Broken bay, and has all the graceful actions o f the .white
kindi” 9-.? :
The tortoifes, called green turtle; abound in the illes o f JtJod5)li{iad‘«l
Howe; and likewife appear on the coaft of N ew Holland. There a re
feveral lizards afid ferpeüts. 4'O f the fiili may be named, .dolphins*
porpcfl&s, and a fiiigular amphibiohs kind which leaps like a -frog},
by the help o f.ftto n g breall fins ; fo that n a tu rë rh a s not only
here* blended the bird with the quadruped, but brought>filb upon
land. T h e blu e crab, o f an ultramarine eolour, is o f èxqüifite
beauty. I ’
7 Collins, 567. 8 Pennant, iv. 127. 9 lb.
A»