CHAPTER XIII
SOME ACCOUNT OF THAT PART OF NEW HOLLAND NOW CALLED NEW SOUTH WALES[1]
General appearance of the coast—Dampier's narrative—Barrenness of the country—Scarcity of water—Vegetables and fruits—Timber—Palms—Gum trees—Quadrupeds—Birds—Insects—Ants and their habitations—Fish—Turtle—Shell-fish—Scarcity of people—Absence of cultivation—Description of natives—Ornaments—Absence of vermin—Implements for catching fish—Food—Cooking—Habitations—Furniture—Vessels for carrying water—Bags—Tools—Absence of sharp instruments—Native method of procuring fire—Weapons—Throwing-sticks—Shield—Cowardice of the people—Canoes—Climate—Language.
Having now, I believe, fairly passed through between New Holland and New Guinea, and having an open sea to the westward, so that to-morrow we intend to steer more to the northwards in order to make the south coast of New Guinea, it seems high time to take leave of New Holland, which I shall do by summing up the few observations I have been able to make on the country and people. I much wished, indeed, to have had better opportunities of seeing and observing the people, as they differ so much from the account that Dampier (the only man I know of who has seen them besides us) has given of them: he indeed saw them on a part of the coast very distant from where we were, and consequently the people might be different; but I should rather conclude them to be the same, chiefly from having observed an universal conformity in such of their
- ↑ This chapter is thus entitled by Banks. The name "New Wales" was bestowed by Cook on the whole eastern coast from lat. 38 S. to Cape York: the Admiralty copy of Cook's Journal, and that belonging to Her Majesty, call it "New South Wales" (Wharton's Cook, p. 312).
