information as to the nature of the Australian country and the
productions of its soil. It was rëserved for Captain Cook to
explore the ocean-ward or eastern coast, which5 he traced, a
hundred years after the voyage of Dampier, from Cape Howe,
near its southern extremity,'to Cape York, the northernmost
point of the whole island. The general form of Australasia
was thus made known. An account of the discoveries of Bass
and the voyage of Flinders, who explored the eastern part of
the southern shore from Bass’s Strait to' Nuytz’s Land, ‘and
of the’ expedition under King' commissioned to complete the
surveyy belongs to thé later history óf natitiGal sëienCe« '
I have thus briefly mentioned the" principal' discoveries of
different portions of the Australian ebast1, not merely as' a
matter of historical interest, but because they furnish geographical
limits and epithets distinguishing the different parts
o f this great country from each other'. When the history of
various tribës among the native inhabitants'shall have become
known, it is not unlikely that their national
furnish more appropriate local names; but whïlipèuch infer*-
mation is wanting, the best method of designating fh ^ Aiffe^
rent parts of this country is by naming them after thé original
discoverers.
If we trace the sea-border of New Helltodhround from
west to east, we shall find no difficulty in subdividing it on the
principle suggested, and in fact a great part of the whole coast
is already thus distinguished in our maps. The great bay or
almost semicircular bending of the coast to the westward 6f
Bass’s Straits is divided into two nearly equal parts. From
the extremity óf Bass’s Strait to thé inmost recess of the
great bight, the coast was chiefly explored by Flinders, and
this part of New Holland has been called Flinders’ Land.
This term has given way to that of South Australia, while
Australia Felix, as it is well known, is of more limited import,
and designates a smaller country near the eastern extremity
of Bass’s Strait. From the bottom of the gulf or bight
where Flinders’ Land or South Australia terminates, the coast,
beino- still part of the southern border of New Holland, is
called Nuytz’s Land. This reaches to the great south-eastern
promontory of King George’s Sound. The country near
King George^&Soundis Leeuwin’s Land, and this name may
serve to designate the; territory reaching, from the southwestern
cape as far as to the thirtieth degree of south latitude
on the western coast- To * th e northward ofiLeeuwin’s Land,
Ed el’s Land reaches on the, western coast as far northward as
Freycinet’s Harbour or as Dirk Hartog’s Island. Eendracht’s
Land, and to the northward of it,* De Witt’s Land, extend
further-north to the ..twentieth r4egjBeefrg§ latitude, and,nearly
to the- cluster of islands which has,, received the name of
Dampier’s. Archipelago#.... The 1 remaining ^»portion,-,, o f ; the
western coast of Australia, looking , towards the- north-west,
was formerly,called Wan Diemen’s Land-but as this t©rm!, if
continued to be used, might ioeeasion mistakes,, tbef:sam&
name having been given to-the Island of Tasmania* ’ it will be
advisable to-substitute* that of; Dampiqrjs^ Land-,, after - the
navigator- who first .described- the country and its inhabitants
with aby d<^^iilika<muriw^:- Dampieris Land; muyTeach to
the- cape which terminates thist line of/CoaSt towards the north,
named in.4ate maps Cape Diemen# Arrdieim’s Land is; the
northern region* which reaches thence- tqfthe Guff o£,Carpentaria.
- The whole, eastern side of New -Holland has the name
of New South Wales* too well established5 in use’to, be easily
cliangedfi^but it haf lately been proposed tp- divide this-long
line into two parts, and to term the northern,; Torres’ Land,
and the southern part Cook’s Land.# {
These names‘for the different parts of the sea-border of
Australia may be extended to the inland regions, as yet little
known, behind the coast, which it will be-necessary »to distinguish
when we attempt to investigate the. history and mutual
relations of the various tribes of native inhabitants.
, S e c t io n I I .Gene ral Descriptions o f the different Tribes
on the Australian Goast.
The earliest account of the natives of any ^ part of Australia
is due to Dampier, who in his quaint buhgraphica! style has