The point of the main which forms the side of the channel through which

we passed, opposite to the island, is the northern promontory of the

country, and I called it YORK CAPE. Its longitude is 218° 24ʹ W., the

latitude of the north point is 10° 37ʹ, and of the east point 10° 42ʹ S.

The land over the east point, and to the southward of it, is rather low,

and as far as the eye can reach, very flat, and of a barren appearance.

To the southward of the Cape the shore forms a large open bay, which I

called NEWCASTLE BAY, and in which are some small low islands and

shoals; the land adjacent is also very low, flat, and sandy. The land of

the northern part of the Cape is more hilly, the valleys seem to be well

clothed with wood, and the shore forms some small bays, in which there

appeared to be good anchorage. Close to the eastern point of the Cape

are three small islands, from one of which a small ledge of rocks runs

out into the sea: there is also an island close to the northern point.

The island that forms the strait or channel through which we had passed,

lies about four miles without these, which, except two, are very small:

the southermost is the largest, and much higher than any part of the

main land. On the north-west side of this island there appeared to be

good anchorage, and on shore, valleys that promised both wood and water.

These islands are distinguished in the chart by the name of YORK ISLES.

To the southward and south-east, and even to the eastward and northward

of them, there are several other low islands, rocks, and shoals: our

depth of water, in sailing between them and the main, was twelve,

thirteen, and fourteen fathom.

We stood along the shore to the westward, with a gentle breeze at S. E.

by S., and when we had advanced between three and four miles, we

discovered the land a-head, which, when we first saw it, we took for the

main, to be islands detached from it by several channels. Upon this we

sent away the boats, with proper instructions, to lead us through that

channel which was next the main; but soon after discovering rocks and

shoals in this channel, I made a signal for the boats to go through the

next channel to the northward, which lay between these islands, leaving

some of them between us and the main: the ship followed, and had never

less than five fathom water in the narrowest part of the channel, where

the distance from island to island was about one mile and a half.

At four o’clock in the afternoon, we anchored, being about a mile and a

half, or two miles, within the entrance, in six fathom and a half, with

clear ground: the channel here had begun to widen, and the islands on

each side of us were distant about a mile: the main land stretched away

to the S. W., the farthest point in view bore S. 48 W., and the

southermost point of the islands, on the north-west side of the passage,

bore S. 76 W. Between these two points we could see no land, so that we

conceived hopes of having, at last, found a passage into the Indian sea;

however, that I might be able to determine with more certainty, I

resolved to land upon the island which lies at the south-east point of

the passage. Upon this island we had seen many of the inhabitants when

we first came to an anchor; and when I went into the boat with a party

of men, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, in order to go

ashore, we saw ten of them upon a hill: nine of them were armed with

such lances as we had been used to see, and the tenth had a bow, and a

bundle of arrows, which we had never seen in the possession of the

natives of this country before: we also observed, that two of them had

large ornaments of mother-of-pearl hanging round their necks. Three of

these, one of whom was the bowman, placed themselves upon the beach

abreast of us, and we expected that they would have opposed our landing,

but when we came within about a musket’s shot of the beach, they walked

leisurely away. We immediately climbed the highest hill, which was not

more than three times as high as the mast-head, and the most barren of

any we had seen. From this hill, no land could be seen between the S. W.

and W. S. W., so that I had no doubt of finding a channel through. The

land to the north-west of it consisted of a great number of islands of

various extent, and different heights, ranged one behind another, as far

to the northward and westward as I could see, which could not be less

than thirteen leagues. As I was now about to quit the eastern coast of

New Holland, which I had coasted from latitude 38 to this place, and

which I am confident no European had ever seen before, I once more

hoisted English colours, and though I had already taken possession of

several particular parts, I now took possession of the whole eastern

coast, from latitude 38° to this place, latitude 10-½ S., in right of

his Majesty King George the Third, by the name of NEW SOUTH WALES, with

all the bays, harbours, rivers, and islands situated upon it: we then

fired three vollies of small arms, which were answered by the same

number from the ship. Having performed this ceremony upon the island,

which we called POSSESSION ISLAND, we reimbarked in our boat, but a

rapid ebb tide setting N. E. made our return to the vessel very

difficult and tedious. From the time of our last coming among the

shoals, we constantly found a moderate tide, the flood setting to the N.

W. and the ebb to the S. E. At this place, it is high water at the full

and change of the moon, about one or two o’clock, and the water rises

and falls perpendicularly about twelve feet. We saw smoke rising in many

places from the adjacent lands and islands, as we had done upon every

part of the coast, after our last return to it through the reef.

We continued at anchor all night, and between seven and eight o’clock in

the morning, we saw three or four of the natives upon the beach

gathering shell-fish; we discovered, by the help of our glasses, that

they were women, and, like all the other inhabitants of this country,

stark naked. At low water, which happened about ten o’clock, we got

under sail, and stood to the S. W. with a light breeze at E., which

afterwards veered to N. by E.: our depth of water was from six to ten

fathom, except in one place, where we had but five. At noon, Possession

Island bore N. 53 E., distant four leagues, the western extremity of the

main land in sight bore S. 43 W., distant between four and five leagues,

and appeared to be extremely low, the south-west point of the largest

island on the north-west side of the passage bore N. 71 W., distant

eight miles, and this point I called CAPE CORNWALL. It lies in latitude

10° 43ʹ S., longitude 219° W.; and some low lands that lie about the

middle of the passage, which I called WALLIS’S ISLES, bore W. by S. ½

S., distant about two leagues: our latitude, by observation, was 10° 46ʹ

S. We continued to advance with the tide of flood W. N. W., having

little wind, and from eight to five fathom water. At half an hour after

one, the pinnace, which was ahead, made the signal for shoal water, upon

which we tacked, and sent away the yawl to sound also: we then tacked

again, and stood after them: in about two hours, they both made the

signal for shoal water, and the tide being nearly at its greatest

height, I was afraid to stand on, as running aground at that time might

be fatal; I therefore came to an anchor in somewhat less than seven

fathom, sandy ground. Wallis’s Islands bore S. by W. ½ W., distant five

or six miles, the islands to the northward extended from S. 73 E. to N.

10 E., and a small island, which was just in sight, bore N. W. ½ W. Here

we found the flood tide set to the westward, and the ebb to the

eastward.

After we had come to an anchor, I sent away the master in the long-boat

to sound, who, upon his return in the evening, reported, that there was

a bank stretching north and south, upon which there were but three

fathom, and that beyond it there were seven. About this time it fell

calm, and continued so till nine the next morning, when we weighed, with

a light breeze at S. S. E., and steered N. W. by W. for the small island

which was just in sight, having first sent the boats ahead to sound: the

depth of water was eight, seven, six, five, and four fathom, and three

fathom upon the bank, it being now the last quarter ebb. At this time,

the northermost island in sight bore N. 9 E., Cape Cornwall E., distant

three leagues, and Wallis’s Isles S. 3 E., distant three leagues. This

bank, at least so much as we have sounded, extends nearly N. and S., but

to what distance I do not know: its breadth is not more than half a mile

at the utmost. When we had got over the bank, we deepened our water to

six fathom three quarters, and had the same depth all the way to the

small island ahead, which we reached by noon, when it bore S., distant

about half a mile. Our depth of water was now five fathom, and the

northermost land in sight, which is part of the same chain of islands

that we had seen to the northward from the time of our first entering

the strait, bore N. 71 E. Our latitude, by observation, was 10° 33ʹ S.,

and our longitude 219° 22ʹ W.: in this situation, no part of the main

was in sight. As we were now near the island, and had but little wind,

Mr. Banks and I landed upon it, and found it, except a few patches of

wood, to be a barren rock, the haunt of birds, which had frequented it

in such numbers, as to make the surface almost uniformly white with

their dung: of these birds, the greater part seemed to be boobies, and I

therefore called the place BOOBY ISLAND. After a short stay, we returned

to the ship, and in the mean time the wind had got to the S. W.; it was

but a gentle breeze, yet it was accompanied by a swell from the same

quarter, which, with other circumstances, confirmed my opinion that we

were got to the westward of Carpentaria, or the northern extremity of

New Holland, and had now an open sea to the westward, which gave me

great satisfaction, not only because the dangers and fatigues of the

voyage were drawing to an end, but because it would no longer be a doubt

whether New Holland, and New Guinea were two separate islands, or

different parts of the same.

The north-east entrance of this passage or strait, lies in the latitude

of 10° 39ʹ S., and in the longitude of 218° 36ʹ W. It is formed by the

main, or the northern extremity of New Holland, on the S. E., and by a

congeries of islands, which I called the PRINCE OF WALES’S ISLANDS, to

the N. W., and it is probable that these islands extend quite to New

Guinea. They differ very much both in height and circuit, and many of

them seemed to be well clothed with herbage and wood: upon most, if not

all of them, we saw smoke, and therefore there can be no doubt of their

being inhabited: it is also probable, that among them there are at least

as good passages as that we came through, perhaps better, though better

would not need to be desired, if the access to it, from the eastward,

were less dangerous: that a less dangerous access may be discovered, I

think there is little reason to doubt, and to find it, little more seems

to be necessary than to determine how far the principal, or outer reef,

which bounds the shoals to the eastward, extends towards the north,

which I would not have left to future navigators if I had been less

harassed by danger and fatigue, and had had a ship in better condition

for the purpose.

To this channel, or passage, I have given the name of the ship, and

called it ENDEAVOUR STRAITS. Its length from N. E. to S. W. is ten

leagues, and it is about five leagues broad, except at the north-east

entrance, where it is somewhat less than two miles, being contracted by

the islands which lie there. That which I called Possession Island is of

a moderate height and circuit, and this we left between us and the main,

passing between it and two small round islands which lie about two miles

to the N. W. of it. The two small islands, which I called Wallis’s

Islands, lie in the middle of the south-west entrance, and these we left

to the southward. Our depth of water in the strait was from four to nine

fathom, with every where good anchorage, except upon the bank, which

lies two leagues to the northward of Wallis’s Islands, where, at low

water, there are but three fathom: for a more particular knowledge of

this strait, and of the situations of the several islands and shoals on

the eastern coast of New Wales, I refer to the chart, where they are

delineated with all the accuracy that circumstances would admit; yet,

with respect to the shoals, I cannot pretend that one half of them are

laid down, nor can it be supposed possible that one half of them should

be discovered in the course of a single navigation: many islands also

must have escaped my pencil, especially between latitude 20° and 22°,

where we saw islands out at sea as far as an island could be

distinguished; it must not therefore be supposed, by future navigators,

that where no shoal or island is laid down in my chart, no shoal or

island will be found in these seas: it is enough that the situation of

those that appear in the chart is faithfully ascertained, and, in

general, I have the greatest reason to hope that it will be found as

free from error as any that has not been corrected by subsequent and

successive observations. The latitudes and longitudes of all, or most of

the principal head-lands and bays, may be confided in, for we seldom

failed of getting an observation once at least every day, by which to

correct the latitude of our reckoning, and observations for settling the

longitude were equally numerous, no opportunity that was offered by the

sun and moon being suffered to escape. It would be injurious to the

memory of Mr. Green, not to take this opportunity of attesting that he

was indefatigable both in making observations and calculating upon them;

and that, by his instructions and assistance, many of the petty officers

were enabled both to observe and calculate with great exactness. This

method of finding the longitude at sea, may be put into universal

practice, and may always be depended upon within half a degree, which is

sufficient for all nautical purposes. If, therefore, observing and

calculating were considered as necessary qualifications for every sea

officer, the labours of the speculative theorist to solve this problem

might be remitted, without much injury to mankind: neither will it be so

difficult to acquire this qualification, or put it in practice, as may

at first appear; for, with the assistance of the nautical almanack, and

astronomical ephemeris, the calculations for finding the longitude will

take up little more time than the calculation of an azimuth for finding

the variation of the compass.

CHAP. VI.

DEPARTURE FROM NEW SOUTH WALES; A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY,

ITS PRODUCTS, AND PEOPLE: A SPECIMEN OF THE LANGUAGE, AND SOME

OBSERVATIONS UPON THE CURRENTS AND TIDES.

OF this country, its products, and its people, many particulars have

already been related in the course of the narrative, being so interwoven

with the events as not to admit of a separation. I shall now give a more

full and circumstantial description of each, in which, if some things

should happen to be repeated, the greater part will be found new.

New Holland, or, as I have now called the eastern coast, New South

Wales, is of a larger extent than any other country in the known world

that does not bear the name of a continent: the length of coast along

which we sailed, reduced to a straight line, is no less than

twenty-seven degrees of latitude, amounting to near 2000 miles, so that

its square surface must be much more than equal to all Europe. To the

southward of 33 or 34, the land in general is low and level; farther

northward it is hilly, but in no part can be called mountainous; and the

hills and mountains, taken together, make but a small part of the

surface, in comparison with the valleys and plains. It is, upon the

whole, rather barren than fertile; yet the rising ground is chequered by

woods and lawns, and the plains and valleys are in many places covered

with herbage: the soil, however, is frequently sandy, and many of the

lawns, or savannahs, are rocky and barren, especially to the northward,

where, in the best spots, vegetation was less vigorous than in the

southern part of the country; the trees were not so tall, nor was the

herbage so rich. The grass in general is high, but thin, and the trees,

where they are largest, are seldom less than forty feet asunder; nor is

the country inland, as far as we could examine it, better clothed than

the sea-coast. The banks of the bays are covered with mangroves, to the

distance of a mile within the beach, under which the soil is a rank mud,

that is always overflowed by a spring-tide; farther in the country we

sometimes met with a bog, upon which the grass was very thick and

luxuriant, and sometimes with a valley, that was clothed with underwood:

the soil in some parts seemed to be capable of improvement, but the far

greater part is such as can admit of no cultivation. The coast, at least

that part of it which lies to the northward of 25° S., abounds with fine

bays and harbours, where vessels may lie in perfect security from all

winds.

If we may judge by the appearance of the country while we were there,

which was in the very height of the dry season, it is well watered: we

found innumerable small brooks and springs, but no great rivers; these

brooks, however, probably become large in the rainy season. Thirsty

Sound was the only place where fresh water was not to be procured for

the ship, and even there one or two small pools were found in the woods,

though the face of the country was every where intersected by salt

creeks and mangrove land.

Of trees, there is no great variety. Of those that could be called

timber, there are but two sorts: the largest is the gum-tree, which

grows all over the country, and has been mentioned already: it has

narrow leaves, not much unlike a willow; and the gum, or rather resin,

which it yields, is of a deep red, and resembles the _sanguis draconis_;

possibly it may be the same, for this substance is known to be the

produce of more than one plant. It is mentioned by Dampier, and is

perhaps the same that Tasman found upon Diemen’s Land, where he says he

saw “Gum of the trees, and gum lac of the ground.” The other timber-tree

is that which grows somewhat like our pines, and has been particularly

mentioned in the account of Botany Bay. The wood of both these trees, as

I have before remarked, is extremely hard and heavy. Besides these, here

are trees covered with a soft bark that is easily peeled off, and is the

same that in the East Indies is used for the calking of ships.

We found here the palm of three different sorts. The first, which grows

in great plenty to the southward, has leaves that are platted like a

fan: the cabbage of these is small, but exquisitely sweet; and the nuts,

which it bears in great abundance, are very good food for hogs. The

second sort bore a much greater resemblance to the true cabbage-tree of

the West Indies; its leaves were large and pinnated, like those of the

cocoa-nut; and these also produced a cabbage, which, though not so sweet

as the other, was much larger. The third sort, which, like the second,

was found only in the northern parts, was seldom more than ten feet

high, with small pinnated leaves, resembling those of some kind of fern:

it bore no cabbage, but a plentiful crop of nuts, about the size of a

large chesnut, but rounder. As we found the hulls of these scattered

round the places where the Indians had made their fires, we took for

granted that they were fit to eat; those, however, who made the

experiment, paid dear for their knowledge of the contrary, for they

operated both as an emetic and cathartic with great violence. Still,

however, we made no doubt but that they were eaten by the Indians; and,

judging that the constitution of the hogs might be as strong as theirs,

though our own had proved to be so much inferior, we carried them to the

stye; the hogs ate them indeed, and for some time, we thought, without

suffering any inconvenience; but in about a week they were so much

disordered, that two of them died, and the rest were recovered with

great difficulty. It is probable, however, that the poisonous quality of

these nuts may lie in the juice, like that of the cassada of the West

Indies; and that the pulp, when dried, may be not only wholesome, but

nutritious. Besides these species of the palm, and mangroves, there were

several small trees and shrubs altogether unknown in Europe,

particularly one which produced a very poor kind of fig; another that

bore what we called a plum, which it resembled in colour, but not in

shape, being flat on the sides like a little cheese; and a third, that

bore a kind of purple apple, which, after it had been kept a few days,

became eatable, and tasted somewhat like a damascene.

Here is a great variety of plants to enrich the collection of a

botanist, but very few of them are of the esculent kind. A small plant,

with long, narrow, grassy leaves, resembling that kind of bulrush which

in England is called the Cat’s-tail, yields a resin of a bright yellow

colour, exactly resembling gambouge, except that it does not stain; it

has a sweet smell, but its properties we had no opportunity to discover,

any more than those of many others with which the natives appear to be

acquainted, as they have distinguished them by names.

I have already mentioned the root and leaves of a plant resembling the

coccos of the West Indies, and a kind of bean; to which may be added, a

sort of parsley and purselain, and two kinds of yams, one shaped like a

radish, and the other round, and covered with stringy fibres: both sorts

are very small, but sweet; and we never could find the plants that

produced them, though we often saw the places where they had been newly

dug up; it is probable that the drought had destroyed the leaves, and we

could not, like the Indians, discover them by the stalks.

Most of the fruits of this country, such as they are, have been

mentioned already. We found one in the southern part of the country

resembling a cherry, except that the stone was soft; and another, not

unlike a pine-apple in appearance, but of a very disagreeable taste,

which is well known in the East Indies, and is called by the Dutch _Pyn

Appel Boomen_.

Of the quadrupeds, I have already mentioned the dog, and particularly

described the kanguroo, and the animal of the opossum kind, resembling

the phalanger of Buffon; to which I can add only one more, resembling a

polecat, which the natives call _Quoll_; the back is brown, spotted with

white, and the belly white unmixed. Several of our people said they had

seen wolves; but, perhaps, if we had not seen tracks that favoured the

account, we might have thought them little more worthy of credit than he

who reported that he had seen the devil.

Of bats, which hold a middle place between the beasts and the birds, we

saw many kinds, particularly one which, as I have observed already, was

larger than a partridge; we were not fortunate enough to take one either

alive or dead, but it was supposed to be the same as Buffon has

described by the name of _Rouset_ or _Rouget_.

The sea and other water-fowl of this country, are gulls, shaggs, soland

geese, or gannets, of two sorts; boobies, noddies, curlieus, ducks,

pelicans of an enormous size, and many others. The land-birds are,

crows, parrots, paroquets, cockatoos, and other birds of the same kind,

of exquisite beauty; pigeons, doves, quails, bustards, herons, cranes,

hawks, and eagles. The pigeons flew in numerous flocks, so that,

notwithstanding their extreme shyness, our people frequently killed ten

or twelve of them in a day: these birds are very beautiful, and crested

very differently from any we had seen before.

Among other reptiles, here are serpents of various kinds, some noxious,

and some harmless; scorpions, centipedes, and lizards. The insects are

but few. The principal are the musquito, and the ant. Of the ant there

are several sorts; some are as green as a leaf, and live upon trees,

where they build their nests of various sizes, between that of a man’s

head and his fist. These nests are of a very curious structure: they are

formed by bending down several of the leaves, each of which is as broad

as a man’s hand, and gluing the points of them together, so as to form a

purse; the viscus used for this purpose, is an animal juice, which

Nature has enabled them to elaborate. Their method of first bending down

the leaves, we had not an opportunity to observe; but we saw thousands

uniting all their strength to hold them in this position, while other

busy multitudes were employed within, in applying the gluten that was to

prevent their returning back. To satisfy ourselves that the leaves were

bent, and held down by the effort of these diminutive artificers, we

disturbed them in their work, and as soon as they were driven from their

station, the leaves on which they were employed sprung up with a force

much greater than we could have thought them able to conquer by any

combination of their strength. But, though we gratified our curiosity at

their expence, the injury did not go unrevenged; for thousands

immediately threw themselves upon us, and gave us intolerable pain with

their stings, especially those who took possession of our necks and our

hair, from whence they were not easily driven: the sting was scarcely

less painful than that of a bee; but, except it was repeated, the pain

did not last more than a minute.

Another sort are quite black, and their operations and manner of life

are not less extraordinary. Their habitations are the inside of the

branches of a tree, which they contrive to excavate by working out the

pith almost to the extremity of the slenderest twig; the tree at the

same time flourishing, as if it had no such inmate. When we first found

the tree, we gathered some of the branches, and were scarcely less

astonished than we should have been to find that we had profaned a

consecrated grove, where every tree, upon being wounded, gave signs of

life; for we were instantly covered with legions of these animals,

swarming from every broken bough, and inflicting their stings with

incessant violence. They are mentioned by Rumphius in his _Herbarium

Amboinense_, vol. ii. p. 257.; but the tree in which he saw their

dwelling, is very different from that in which we found them.

A third kind we found nested in the root of a plant, which grows on the

bark of trees in the manner of misletoe, and which they had perforated

for that use. This root is commonly as big as a large turnip, and

sometimes much bigger: when we cut it, we found it intersected by

innumerable winding passages, all filled with these animals, by which

however the vegetation of the plant did not appear to have suffered any

injury. We never cut one of these roots that was not inhabited, though

some were not bigger than a hazle-nut. The animals themselves are very

small, not more than half as big as the common red ant in England. They

had stings, but scarcely force enough to make them felt; they had

however a power of tormenting us in an equal, if not a greater degree;

for the moment we handled the root, they swarmed from innumerable holes,

and running about those parts of the body that were uncovered, produced

a titillation more intolerable than pain, except it is increased to

great violence. Rumphius has also given an account of this bulb and its

inhabitants, vol. vi. p. 120, where he mentions another sort that are

black.

We found a fourth kind, which are perfectly harmless, and almost exactly

resemble the white ants of the East Indies; the architecture of these is

still more curious than that of the others. They have houses of two

sorts, one is suspended on the branches of trees, and the other erected

upon the ground: those upon the trees are about three or four times as

big as a man’s head, and are built of a brittle substance, which seems

to consist of small parts of vegetables kneaded together with a

glutinous matter, which their bodies probably supply; upon breaking this

crust, innumerable cells, swarming with inhabitants, appear in a great

variety of winding directions, all communicating with each other, and

with several apertures that lead to other nests upon the same tree; they

have also one large avenue, or covered way, leading to the ground, and

carried on under it to the other nest or house that is constructed

there. This house is generally at the root of a tree, but not of that

upon which their other dwellings are constructed: it is formed like an

irregularly sided cone, and sometimes is more than six feet high, and

nearly as much in diameter. Some are smaller, and these are generally

flat-sided, and very much resemble in figure the stones which are seen

in many parts of England, and supposed to be the remains of druidical

antiquity. The outside of these is of well-tempered clay, about two

inches thick; and within are the cells, which have no opening outwards,

but communicate only with the subterranean way to the houses on the

tree, and to the tree near which they are constructed, where they ascend

up the root, and so up the trunk and branches, under covered ways of the

same kind as those by which they descended from their other dwellings.

To these structures on the ground they probably retire in the winter, or

rainy seasons, as they are proof against any wet that can fall; which

those in the tree, though generally constructed under some overhanging

branch, from the nature and thinness of their crust or wall, cannot be.

The sea in this country is much more liberal of food to the inhabitants

than the land; and though fish is not quite so plenty here as they

generally are in higher latitudes, yet we seldom hauled the seine

without taking from fifty to two hundred weight. They are of various

sorts; but, except the mullet, and some of the shell-fish, none of them

are known in Europe: most of them are palatable, and some are very

delicious. Upon the shoals and reef there are incredible numbers of the

finest green turtle in the world, and oysters of various kinds,

particularly the rock-oyster and the pearl-oyster. The gigantic cockles

have been mentioned already; besides which there are sea-crayfish, or

lobsters, and crabs; of these however we saw only the shells. In the

rivers and salt creeks there are alligators.

The only person who has hitherto given any account of this country or

its inhabitants is Dampier; and though he is, in general, a writer of

credit, yet in many particulars he is mistaken. The people whom he saw

were indeed inhabitants of a part of the coast very distant from that

which we visited; but we also saw inhabitants upon parts of the coast

very distant from each other; and their being a perfect uniformity in

person and customs among them all, it is reasonable to conclude that

distance in another direction has not considerably broken it.

The number of inhabitants in this country appears to be very small in

proportion to its extent. We never saw so many as thirty of them

together but once, and that was at Botany Bay, when men, women, and

children, assembled upon a rock to see the ship pass by: when they

manifestly formed a resolution to engage us, they never could muster

above fourteen or fifteen fighting men, and we never saw a number of

their sheds or houses together that could accommodate a larger party. It

is true, indeed, that we saw only the sea-coast on the eastern side; and

that, between this and the western shore, there is an immense tract of

country wholly unexplored: but there is great reason to believe that

this immense tract is either wholly desolate, or at least still more

thinly inhabited than the parts we visited. It is impossible that the

inland country should subsist inhabitants at all seasons without

cultivation: it is extremely improbable that the inhabitants of the

coast should be totally ignorant of arts of cultivation, which were

practised inland; and it is equally improbable that, if they knew such

arts, there should be no traces of them among them. It is certain, that

we did not see one foot of ground in a state of cultivation in the whole

country, and therefore it may well be concluded, that where the sea does

not contribute to feed the inhabitants, the country is not inhabited.

The only tribe with which we had any intercourse we found where the ship

was careened: it consisted of one-and-twenty persons, twelve men, seven

women, one boy, and one girl: the women we never saw but at a distance,

for when the men came over the river they were always left behind. The

men, here and in other places, were of a middle size, and in general

well made, clean limbed, and remarkably vigorous, active, and nimble;

their countenances were not altogether without expression, and their

voices were remarkably soft and effeminate.

Their skins were so uniformly covered with dirt, that it was very

difficult to ascertain their true colour: we made several attempts, by

wetting our fingers and rubbing it, to remove the incrustations, but

with very little effect. With the dirt, they appear nearly as black as a

negro, and according to our best discoveries, the skin itself is of the

colour of wood soot, or what is commonly called a chocolate colour.

Their features are far from being disagreeable; their noses are not

flat, nor are their lips thick; their teeth are white and even, and

their hair naturally long and black, it is, however, universally cropped

short; in general, it is straight, but sometimes it has a slight curl;

we saw none that was not matted and filthy, though without oil or

grease, and to our great astonishment free from lice. Their beards were

of the same colour with their hair, and bushy and thick; they are not,

however, suffered to grow long. A man, whom we had seen one day with his

beard somewhat longer than his companions, we saw the next with it

somewhat shorter, and upon examination found the ends of the hairs

burnt: from this incident, and our having never seen any sharp

instrument among them, we concluded that both the hair and the beard

were kept short by singeing them.

Both sexes, as I have already observed, go stark naked, and seem to have

no more sense of indecency in discovering the whole body, than we have

in discovering our hands and face. Their principal ornament is the bone,

which they thrust through the cartilage that divides the nostrils from

each other. What perversion of taste could make them think this a

decoration, or what could prompt them, before they had worn it or seen

it worn, to suffer the pain and inconvenience that must of necessity

attend it, is perhaps beyond the power of human sagacity to determine.

As this bone is as thick as a man’s finger, and between five and six

inches long, it reaches quite across the face, and so effectually stops

up both the nostrils, that they are forced to keep their mouths wide

open for breath, and snuffle so when they attempt to speak, that they

are scarcely intelligible even to each other. Our seamen, with some

humour, called it their spritsail-yard; and, indeed, it had so ludicrous

an appearance, that till we were used to it, we found it difficult to

refrain from laughter. Beside this nose-jewel, they had necklaces made

of shells, very neatly cut and strung together; bracelets of small cord,

wound two or three times about the upper part of their arm, and a string

of plaited human hair about as thick as a thread of yarn, tied round the

waist. Besides these, some of them had gorgets of shells hanging round

the neck, so as to reach cross the breast. But though these people wear

no clothes, their bodies have a covering besides the dirt, for they

paint them both white and red: the red is commonly laid on in broad

patches upon the shoulders and breast, and the white in stripes, some

narrow, and some broad: the narrow were drawn over the limbs, and the

broad over the body, not without some degree of taste. The white was

also laid on in small patches upon the face, and drawn in a circle round

each eye. The red seemed to be ochre, but what the white was we could

not discover: it was close grained, saponaceous to the touch, and almost

as heavy as white lead; possibly it might be a kind of _Steatites_, but

to our great regret we could not procure a bit of it to examine. They

have holes in their ears, but we never saw any thing worn in them. Upon

such ornaments as they had, they set so great a value, that they would

never part with the least article for any thing we could offer; which

was the more extraordinary, as our beads and ribbons were ornaments of

the same kind, but of a more regular form and more showy materials. They

had, indeed, no idea of traffic, nor could we communicate any to them:

they received the things that we gave them, but never appeared to

understand our signs when we required a return. The same indifference

which prevented them from buying what we had, prevented them also from

attempting to steal: if they had coveted more, they would have been less

honest; for when we refused to give them a turtle, they were enraged,

and attempted to take it by force, and we had nothing else upon which

they seemed to set the least value; for, as I have before observed, many

of the things that we had given them we found left negligently about in

the woods, like the playthings of children, which please only while they

are new. Upon their bodies we saw no marks of disease or sores, but

large scars in irregular lines, which appeared to be the remains of

wounds which they had inflicted upon themselves with some blunt

instrument, and which we understood by signs to have been memorials of

grief for the dead.

They appeared to have no fixed habitations, for we saw nothing like a

town or village in the whole country. Their houses, if houses they may

be called, seem to be formed with less art and industry than any we had

seen, except the wretched hovels at Terra del Fuego, and in some

respects they are inferior even to them. At Botany Bay, where they were

best, they were just high enough for a man to sit upright in, but not

large enough for him to extend himself in his whole length in any

direction: they are built with pliable rods about as thick as a man’s

finger, in the form of an oven, by sticking the two ends into the

ground, and then covering them with palm-leaves and broad pieces of

bark: the door is nothing but a large hole at one end, opposite to which

the fire is made, as we perceived by the ashes. Under these houses, or

sheds, they sleep, coiled up with their heels to their head, and in this

position one of them will hold three or four persons. As we advanced

northward, and the climate became warmer, we found these sheds still

more slight: they were built, like the others, of twigs, and covered

with bark; but none of them were more than four feet deep, and one side

was entirely open: the close side was always opposed to the course of

the prevailing wind, and opposite to the open side was the fire,

probably more as a defence from the musquitos than the cold. Under these

hovels it is probable that they thrust only their heads and the upper

part of their bodies, extending their feet towards the fire. They were

set up occasionally by a wandering horde in any place that would furnish

them for a time with subsistence, and left behind them when, after it

was exhausted, they went away; but in places where they remained only

for a night or two, they slept without any shelter, except the bushes or

grass, which is here near two feet high. We observed, however, that

though the sleeping huts, which we found upon the main, were always

turned from the prevailing wind, those upon the islands were turned

towards it; which seems to be a proof that they have a mild season here,

during which the sea is calm, and that the same weather which enables

them to visit the islands makes the air welcome even while they sleep.

The only furniture belonging to these houses that fell under our

observation is a kind of oblong vessel made of bark, by the simple

contrivance of tying up the two ends with a withy, which not being cut

off serves for a handle; these we imagined were used as buckets to fetch

water from the spring, which may be supposed sometimes to be at a

considerable distance. They have, however, a small bag, about the size

of a moderate cabbage-net, which is made by laying threads loop within

loop, somewhat in the manner of knitting used by our ladies to make

purses. This bag the man carries loose upon his back by a small string

which passes over his head; it generally contains a lump or two of paint

and resin, some fish-hooks and lines, a shell or two, out of which their

hooks are made, a few points of darts, and their usual ornaments, which

includes the whole worldly treasure of the richest man among them.

Their fish-hooks are very neatly made, and some of them are exceedingly

small. For striking turtle they have a peg of wood which is about a foot

long, and very well bearded; this fits into a socket at the end of a

staff of light wood, about as thick as a man’s wrist, and about seven or

eight feet long: to the staff is tied one end of a loose line about

three or four fathom long, the other end of which is fastened to the

peg. To strike the turtle, the peg is fixed into the socket, and when it

has entered his body, and is retained there by the barb, the staff flies

off, and serves for a float to trace their victim in the water; it

assists also to tire him, till they can overtake him with their canoes,

and haul him ashore. One of these pegs, as I have mentioned already, we

found buried in the body of a turtle, which had healed up over it. Their

lines are from the thickness of a half-inch rope to the fineness of a

hair, and are made of some vegetable substance, but what in particular

we had no opportunity to learn.

Their food is chiefly fish, though they sometimes contrive to kill the

kanguroo, and even birds of various kinds; notwithstanding, they are so

shy that we found it difficult to get within reach of them with a

fowling-piece. The only vegetable that can be considered as an article

of food is the yam; yet doubtless they eat the several fruits which have

been mentioned among other productions of the country; and indeed we saw

the shells and hulls of several of them lying about the places where

they had kindled their fire.

They do not appear to eat any animal food raw; but having no vessel in

which water can be boiled, they either broil it upon the coals, or bake

it in a hole by the help of hot stones, in the same manner as is

practised by the inhabitants of the islands in the South Seas.

Whether they are acquainted with any plant that has an intoxicating

quality, we do not know; but we observed that several of them held

leaves of some sort constantly in their mouths, as an European does

tobacco, and an East Indian betle: we never saw the plant, but when they

took it from their mouths at our request; possibly it might be a species

of the betle, but whatever it was, it had no effect upon the teeth or

the lips.

As they have no nets, they catch fish only by striking, or with a hook

and line, except such as they find in the hollows of the rocks and

shoals, which are dry at half ebb.

Their manner of hunting we had no opportunity to see; but we conjectured

by the notches which they had every where cut in large trees in order to

climb them, that they took their station near the tops of them, and

there watched for such animals as might happen to pass near enough to be

reached by their lances: it is possible, also, that in this situation

they might take birds when they came to roost.

I have observed that when they went from our tents upon the banks of

Endeavour River, we could trace them by the fires which they kindled in

their way; and we imagined that these fires were intended some way for

the taking the kanguroo, which we observed to be so much afraid of fire,

that our dogs could scarcely force it over places which had been newly

burnt, though the fire was extinguished.

They produce fire with great facility, and spread it in a wonderful

manner. To produce it they take two pieces of dry soft wood, one is a

stick about eight or nine inches long, the other piece is flat: the

stick they shape into an obtuse point at one end, and pressing it upon

the other, turn it nimbly by holding it between both their hands as we

do a chocolate mill, often shifting their hands up, and then moving them

down upon it, to increase the pressure as much as possible. By this

method they get fire in less than two minutes, and from the smallest

spark, they increase it with great speed and dexterity. We have often

seen one of them run along the shore, to all appearance with nothing in

his hand, who stooping down for a moment, at the distance of every fifty

or a hundred yards, left fire behind him, as we could see first by the

smoke, and then by the flame among the drift wood, and other litter

which was scattered along the place. We had the curiosity to examine one

of these planters of fire, when he set off, and we saw him wrap up a

small spark in dry grass, which, when he had run a little way, having

been fanned by the air that his motion produced, began to blaze; he then

laid it down in a place convenient for his purpose, inclosing a spark of

it in another quantity of grass, and so continued his course.

There are perhaps few things in the history of mankind more

extraordinary than the discovery and application of fire: it will

scarcely be disputed that the manner of producing it, whether by

collision or attrition, was discovered by chance: but its first effects

would naturally strike those to whom it was a new object, with

consternation and terror: it would appear to be an enemy to life and

nature, and to torment and destroy whatever was capable of being

destroyed or tormented; and therefore it seems not easy to conceive what

should incline those who first saw it receive a transient existence from

chance, to reproduce it by design. It is by no means probable that those

who first saw fire approached it with the same caution as those who are

familiar with its effects, so as to be warmed only, and not burnt; and

it is reasonable to think that the intolerable pain which, at its first

appearance, it must produce upon ignorant curiosity, would sow perpetual

enmity between this element and mankind; and that the same principle

which incites them to crush a serpent would incite them to destroy fire,

and avoid all means by which it would be produced, as soon as they were

known. These circumstances considered, how men became sufficiently

familiar with it to render it useful, seems to be a problem very

difficult to solve: nor is it easy to account for the first application

of it to culinary purposes, as the eating both animal and vegetable food

raw, must have become a habit, before there was fire to dress it, and

those who have considered the force of habit will readily believe, that

to men who had always eaten the flesh of animals raw, it would be as

disagreeable dressed, as to those who have always eaten it dressed, it

would be raw. It is remarkable that the inhabitants of Terra del Fuego

produce fire from a spark by collision, and that the happier natives of

this country, New Zealand, and Otaheite, produce it by the attrition of

one combustible substance against another: is there not, then, some

reason to suppose that these different operations correspond with the

manner in which chance produced fire in the neighbourhood of the torrid

and frigid zones? Among the rude inhabitants of a cold country, neither

any operation of art, or occurrence of accident, could be supposed so

easily to produce fire by attrition, as in a climate where every thing

is hot, dry, and adust, teeming with a latent fire which a slight degree

of motion was sufficient to call forth; in a cold country, therefore, it

is natural to suppose that fire was produced by the accidental collision

of two metallic substances, and in a cold country, for that reason, the

same expedient was used to produce it by design: but in hot countries,

where two combustible substances easily kindle by attrition, it is

probable that the attrition of such substances first produced fire, and

here it was therefore natural for art to adopt the same operation, with

a view to produce the same effect. It may indeed be true that fire is

now produced in many cold countries by attrition, and in many hot by a

stroke; but perhaps upon enquiry there may appear reason to conclude

that this has arisen from the communication of one country with another,

and that with respect to the original production of fire in hot and cold

countries, the distinction is well founded.

There may perhaps be some reason to suppose that men became gradually

acquainted with the nature and effects of fire, by its permanent

existence in a volcano, there being remains of volcanoes, or vestiges of

their effects, in almost every part of the world: by a volcano, however,

no method of producing fire, otherwise than by contact, could be learnt;

the production and application of fire, therefore, still seem to afford

abundant subject of speculation to the curious.

The weapons of these people are spears or lances, and these are of

different kinds: some that we saw upon the southern part of the coast

had four prongs, pointed with bone, and barbed; the points were also

smeared with a hard resin, which gave them a polish, and made them enter

deeper into what they struck. To the northward, the lance has but one

point: the shaft is made of cane, or the stalk of a plant somewhat

resembling a bulrush, very straight and light, and from eight to

fourteen feet long, consisting of several joints, where the pieces are

let into each other, and bound together; to this are fitted points of

different kinds; some are of hard heavy wood, and some are the bones of

fish: we saw several that were pointed with the stings of the sting-ray,

the largest that they could procure, and barbed with several that were

smaller, fastened on in a contrary direction; the points of wood were

also sometimes armed with sharp pieces of broken shells, which were

stuck in, and at the junctures covered with resin: the lances that are

thus barbed are indeed dreadful weapons; for when once they have taken

place, they can never be drawn back without tearing away the flesh, or

leaving the sharp ragged splinters of the bone or shell which forms the

beard, behind them in the wound. These weapons are thrown with great

force and dexterity: if intended to wound at a short distance, between

ten and twenty yards, simply with the hand, but if at the distance of

forty or fifty, with an instrument which we called a throwing stick.

This is a plain smooth piece of a hard reddish wood, very highly

polished, about two inches broad, half an inch thick, and three feet

long, with a small knob, or hook at one end, and a cross piece about

three or four inches long at the other: the knob at one end is received

in a small dent or hollow, which is made for that purpose in the shaft

of the lance near the point, but from which it easily slips, upon being

impelled forward: when the lance is laid along upon this machine, and

secured in a proper position by the knob, the person that is to throw it

holds it over his shoulder, and after shaking it, delivers both the

throwing stick and lance with all his force; but the stick being stopped

by the cross piece which comes against the shoulder, with a sudden jerk,

the lance flies forward with incredible swiftness, and with so good an

aim, that at the distance of fifty yards these Indians were more sure of

their mark than we could be with a single bullet. Besides these lances,

we saw no offensive weapon upon this coast, except when we took our last

view of it with our glasses, and then we thought we saw a man with a bow

and arrows, in which it is possible we might be mistaken. We saw,

however, at Botany Bay, a shield or target of an oblong shape, about

three feet long, and eighteen inches broad, which was made of the bark

of a tree: this was fetched out of a hut by one of the men that opposed

our landing, who, when he ran away, left it behind him, and upon taking

it up, we found that it had been pierced through with a single pointed

lance near the centre. These shields are certainly in frequent use among

the people here; for though this was the only one that we saw in their

possession, we frequently found trees from which they appeared

manifestly to have been cut, the marks being easily distinguished from

those that were made by cutting buckets: sometimes also we found the

shields cut out, but not yet taken off from the tree, the edges of the

bark only being a little raised by wedges, so that these people appear

to have discovered that the bark of a tree becomes thicker and stronger

by being suffered to remain upon the trunk after it has been cut round.

The canoes of New Holland are as mean and rude as the houses. Those on

the southern part of the coast are nothing more than a piece of bark,

about twelve feet long, tied together at the ends, and kept open in the

middle by small bows of wood: yet in a vessel of this construction we

once saw three people. In shallow water they are set forward by a pole,

and in deeper by paddles, about eighteen inches long, one of which the

boatman holds in each hand; mean as they are, they have many

conveniencies, they draw but little water, and they are very light, so

that they go upon mud banks to pick up shell-fish, the most important

use to which they can be applied, better perhaps than vessels of any

other construction. We observed, that in the middle of these canoes

there was a heap of sea-weed, and upon that a small fire; probably that

the fish may be broiled and eaten the moment it is caught.

The canoes that we saw when we advanced farther to the northward, are

not made of bark, but of the trunk of a tree hollowed, perhaps by fire.

They are about fourteen feet long, and, being very narrow, are fitted

with an outrigger to prevent their oversetting. These are worked with

paddles, that are so large as to require both hands to manage one of

them: the outside is wholly unmarked by any tool, but at each end the

wood is left longer at the top than at the bottom, so that there is a

projection beyond the hollow part resembling the end of a plank; the

sides are tolerably thin, but how the tree is felled and fashioned, we

had no opportunity to learn. The only tools that we saw among them are

an adze, wretchedly made of stone, some small pieces of the same

substance in form of a wedge, a wooden mallet, and some shells and

fragments of coral. For polishing their throwing sticks, and the points

of their lances, they use the leaves of a kind of wild fig-tree, which

bites upon wood almost as keenly as the shave-grass of Europe, which is

used by our joiners: with such tools, the making even such a canoe as I

have described must be a most difficult and tedious labour: to those who

have been accustomed to the use of metal, it appears altogether

impracticable; but there are few difficulties that will not yield to

patient perseverance; and he who does all he can, will certainly produce

effects that greatly exceed his apparent power.

The utmost freight of these canoes is four people; and if more at any

time wanted to come over the river, one of those who came first was

obliged to go back for the rest: from this circumstance, we conjectured

that the boat we saw, when we were lying in Endeavour River, was the

only one in the neighbourhood: we have however some reason to believe

that the bark canoes are also used where the wooden ones are

constructed; for upon one of the small islands where the natives had

been fishing for turtle, we found one of the little paddles which had

belonged to such a boat, and would have been useless on board any other.

By what means the inhabitants of this country are reduced to such a

number as it can subsist, is not perhaps very easy to guess; whether,

like the inhabitants of New Zealand, they are destroyed by the hands of

each other in contests for food; whether they are swept off by

accidental famine, or whether there is any cause which prevents the

increase of the species, must be left for future adventurers to

determine. That they have wars, appears by their weapons; for supposing

the lances to serve merely for the striking of fish, the shield could be

intended for nothing but a defence against men; the only mark of

hostility, however, which we saw among them, was the perforation of the

shield by a spear, which has been just mentioned, for none of them

appeared to have been wounded by an enemy. Neither can we determine

whether they are pusillanimous or brave; the resolution with which two

of them attempted to prevent our landing, when we had two boats full of

men, in Botany Bay, even after one of them was wounded with small shot,

gave us reason to conclude that they were not only naturally courageous,

but that they had acquired a familiarity with the dangers of hostility,

and were, by habit as well as nature, a daring and warlike people; but

their precipitate flight from every other place that we approached,

without even a menace, while they were out of our reach, was an

indication of uncommon tameness and timidity, such as those who had only

been occasionally warriors must be supposed to have shaken off, whatever

might have been their natural disposition. I have faithfully related

facts, the reader must judge of the people for himself.

From the account that has been given of our commerce with them, it

cannot be supposed that we should know much of their language; yet as

this is an object of great curiosity, especially to the learned, and of

great importance in their researches into the origin of the various

nations that have been discovered, we took some pains to bring away such

a specimen of it as might, in a certain degree, answer the purpose, and

I shall now give an account how it was procured. If we wanted to know

the name of a stone, we took a stone up into our hands, and as well as

we could, intimated by signs, that we wished they should name it: the

word that they pronounced upon the occasion, we immediately wrote down.

This method, though it was the best we could contrive, might certainly

lead us into many mistakes; for if an Indian was to take up a stone, and

ask us the name of it, we might answer a pebble or a flint; so when we

took up a stone, and asked an Indian the name of it, he might pronounce

a word that distinguished the species and not the genus, or that,

instead of signifying stone simply, might signify a rough stone, or a

smooth stone; however, as much as possible to avoid mistakes of this

kind, several of us contrived, at different times, to get from them as

many words as we could, and having noted them down, compared our lists:

those which were the same in all, and which, according to every one’s

account, signified the same thing, we ventured to record, with a very

few others, which, from the simplicity of the subject, and the ease of

expressing our question with plainness and precision by a sign, have

acquired equal authority.

ENGLISH. NEW HOLLAND.

_The head_, Wageegee.

_Hair_, Morye.

_Eyes_, Meul.

_Ears_, Melea.

_Lips_, Yembe.

_Nose_, Bonjoo.

_Tongue_, Unjar.

_Nails_, Kulke.

_Sun_, Gallan.

_Fire_, Meanang.

_A stone_, Walba.

_Sand_, Yowall.

_A rope_, Gurka.

_A man_, Bama.

_Beard_, Wallar.

_Neck_, Doomboo.

_Nipples_, Cayo.

_Hands_, Marigal.

_Thighs_, Coman.

_Navel_, Toolpoor.

_Knees_, Pongo.

_Feet_, Edamal.

_Heel_, Kniorror.

_Cockatoo_, Wanda.

_The sole of the foot_, Chumal.

_Ankle_, Chongurn.

_Arms_, Aco, _or_ Acol.

_Thumb_, Eboorbalga.

_The fore, middle, and ring Egalbaiga.

fingers_,

_The little finger_, Nakil, _or_ Eboornakil.

_The sky_, Kere, _or_ Kearre.

_A father_, Dunjo.

_A son_, Jumurre.

_A male turtle_, Poinga.

_A female_, Mameingo.

_A canoe_, Marigan.

_To paddle_, Pelenyo.

_Sit down_, Takai.

_Smooth_, Mier Carrar.

_A dog_, Cotta, _or_ Kota.

_A loriquet_, Perpere, _or_ pier-pier.

_Blood_, Garmbe.

_Wood_, Yocou.

_The bone in the nose_, Tapool.

_A bag_, Charngala.

_A great cockle_, Moingo.

_Cocos_, _Yams_, Maracotu.

Cherr, Cherco, Yarcaw, Tut, _Expressions, as we supposed,

tut, tut, tut, of admiration, which they

continually used when they

were in company with us._

I shall now quit this country, with a few observations relative to the

currents and tides upon the coast. From latitude 32°, and somewhat

higher, down to Sandy Cape, in latitude 24° 46ʹ, we constantly found a

current setting to the southward, at the rate of about ten or fifteen

miles a day, being more or less, according to our distance from the

land, for it always ran with more force in shore than in the offing; but

I could never satisfy myself whether the flood-tide came from the

southward, the eastward, or the northward; I inclined to the opinion

that it came from the south-east, but the first time we anchored off the

coast, which was in latitude 24° 30ʹ, about ten leagues to the

south-east of Bustard Bay, I found it come from the north-west; on the

contrary, thirty leagues farther to the north-west, on the south side of

Keppel Bay, I found that it came from the east, and at the northern part

of that Bay it came from the northward, but with a much slower motion

than it had come from the east: on the east side of the Bay of Inlets,

it set strongly to the westward, as far as the opening of Broad Sound;

but on the north side of that sound, it came with a very slow motion

from the north-west; and when we lay at anchor before Repulse Bay, it

came from the northward: to account for its course in all this variety

of directions, we need only admit that the flood-tide comes from the

east, or south-east. It is well known, that where there are deep inlets,

and large creeks into low lands, running up from the sea, and not

occasioned by rivers of fresh water, there will always be a great

indraught of the flood-tide, the direction of which will be determined

by the position or direction of the coast which forms the entrance of

such inlet, whatever be its course at sea; and where the tides are weak,

which upon this coast is generally the case, a large inlet will, if I

may be allowed the expression, attract the flood-tide for many leagues.

A view of the chart will at once illustrate this position. To the

northward of Whitsunday’s Passage there is no large inlet, consequently

the flood sets to the northward, or north-westward, according to the

direction of the coast, and the ebb to the south, or south-eastward; at

least such is their course at a little distance from the land, for very

near it they will be influenced by small inlets. I also observed, that

we had only one high tide in twenty-four hours, which happened in the

night. The difference between the perpendicular rise of the water in the

day and the night, when there is a spring-tide, is no less than three

feet, which, where the tides are so inconsiderable as they are here, is

a great proportion of the whole difference between high and low water.

This irregularity of the tides, which is worthy of notice, we did not

discover till we were run ashore, and perhaps farther to the northward

it is still greater: after we got within the reef the second time, we

found the tides more considerable than we had ever done before, except

in the Bay of Inlets, and possibly this may be owing to the water being

more confined between the shoals; here also the flood sets to the

north-west, and continues in the same direction to the extremity of New

Wales, from whence its direction is west and south-west into the Indian

sea.

CHAP. VII.

THE PASSAGE FROM NEW SOUTH WALES TO NEW GUINEA, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT

HAPPENED UPON LANDING THERE.

IN the afternoon of Thursday, August the 23d, after leaving Booby

Island, we steered W. N. W., with light airs from the S. S. W. till five

o’clock, when it fell calm, and the tide of ebb soon after setting to

the N. E., we came to an anchor in eight fathom water, with a soft sandy

bottom. Booby Island bore S. 50 E., distant five miles, and the Prince

of Wales’s Isles extended from N. E. by N. to S. 55 E.; between these

there appeared to be a clear open passage, extending from N. 46 E. to E.

by N.

At half an hour after five, in the morning of the 24th, as we were

purchasing the anchor, the cable parted at about eight or ten fathom

from the ring: the ship then began to drive, but I immediately dropped

another anchor, which brought her up before she got more than a cable’s

length from the buoy; the boats were then sent to sweep for the anchor,

but could not succeed. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 10°

30ʹ S. As I was resolved not to leave the anchor behind, while there

remained a possibility of recovering it, I sent the boats again after

dinner, with a small line, to discover where it lay; this being happily

effected, we swept for it with a hawser, and by the same hawser hove the

ship up to it: we proceeded to weigh it, but just as we were about to

ship it, the hawser slipped, and we had all our labour to repeat. By

this time it was dark, and we were obliged to suspend our operations

till the morning.

As soon as it was light, we sweeped it again, and heaved it to the bows;

by eight o’clock, we weighed the other anchor, got under sail, and, with

a fine breeze at E. N. E., stood to the north-west. At noon, our

latitude, by observation, was 10° 18ʹ S., longitude 219° 39ʹ W. At this

time we had no land in sight, but about two miles to the southward of us

lay a large shoal, upon which the sea broke with great violence, and

part of which, I believe, is dry at low water. It extends N. W. and S.

E., and is about five leagues in circuit. Our depth of water, from the

time we weighed till now, was nine fathom, but it soon shallowed to

seven fathom; and at half an hour after one, having run eleven miles

between noon and that time, the boat which was a-head made the signal

for shoal water; we immediately let go an anchor, and brought the ship

up with all the sails standing, for the boat having just been relieved,

was at but a little distance: upon looking out from the ship, we saw

shoal water almost all round us, both wind and tide at the same time

setting upon it. The ship was in six fathom, but upon sounding round

her, at the distance of half a cable’s length, we found scarcely two.

This shoal reached from the east, round by the north and west, as far as

the south-west, so that there was no way for us to get clear but that

which we came. This was another hair’s-breadth escape, for it was near

high-water, and there run a short cockling sea, which must very soon

have bulged the ship if she had struck; and if her direction had been

half a cable’s length more either to the right or left, she must have

struck before the signal for the shoal was made. The shoals which, like

these, lie a fathom or two under water, are the most dangerous of any,

for they do not discover themselves till the vessel is just upon them,

and then indeed the water looks brown, as if it reflected a dark cloud.

Between three and four o’clock, the tide of ebb began to make, and I

sent the master to sound to the southward and south-westward, and in the

mean time, as the ship tended, I weighed anchor, and with a little sail

stood first to the southward, and afterwards edging away to the

westward, got once more out of danger. At sunset, we anchored in ten

fathom, with a sandy bottom, having a fresh gale at E. S. E.

At six in the morning, we weighed again and stood west, having, as

usual, first sent a boat a-head to sound. I had intended to steer N. W.

till I had made the south coast of New Guinea, designing, if possible,

to touch upon it; but upon meeting with these shoals, I altered my

course, in hopes of finding a clearer channel and deeper water. In this

I succeeded, for by noon our depth of water was gradually increased to

seventeen fathom. Our latitude was now, by observation, 10° 10ʹ S.; and

our longitude 220° 12ʹ W. No land was in sight. We continued to steer

west till sunset, our depth of water being from twenty-seven to

twenty-three fathom: we then shortened sail, and kept upon a wind all

night; four hours on one tack, and four on another. At daylight, we made

all the sail we could, and steered W. N. W. till eight o’clock, and then

N. W. At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 9° 56ʹ S., longitude

221° W., variation 2° 30ʹ E. We continued our N. W. course till sunset,

when we again shortened sail, and hauled close upon a wind to the

northward: our depth of water was twenty-one fathom. At eight, we tacked

and stood to the southward till twelve; then stood to the northward with

little sail till daylight: our soundings were from twenty-five to

seventeen fathom, the water growing gradually shallow as we stood to the

northward. At this time we made sail and stood to the north, in order to

make the land of New Guinea: from the time of our making sail till noon,

the depth of water gradually decreased from seventeen to twelve fathom,

with a stoney and shelly bottom. Our latitude, by observation, was now

8° 52ʹ S., which is in the same parallel as that in which the southern

parts of New Guinea are laid down in the charts; but there are only two

points so far to the south, and I reckoned that we were a degree to the

westward of them both, and therefore did not see the land, which trends

more to the northward. We found the sea here to be in many parts covered

with a brown scum, such as sailors generally call spawn. When I first

saw it, I was alarmed, fearing that we were among shoals; but upon

sounding, we found the same depth of water as in other places. This scum

was examined both by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, but they could not

determine what it was: it was formed of innumerable small particles, not

more than half a line in length, each of which in the microscope

appeared to consist of thirty or forty tubes; and each tube was divided

through its whole length by small partitions into many cells, like the

tubes of the conferva: they were supposed to belong to the vegetable

kingdom, because, upon burning them, they produced no smell like that of

an animal substance. The same appearance had been observed upon the

coast of Brazil and New Holland, but never at any considerable distance

from the shore. In the evening a small bird hovered about the ship, and

at night, settling among the rigging, was taken. It proved to be exactly

the same bird which Dampier has described, and of which he has given a

rude figure, by the name of a Noddy from New Holland. (See his Voyages,

vol. iii. p. 98. Tab. of Birds, fig. 5.)

We continued standing to the northward with a fresh gale at E. by S. and

S. E. till six in the evening, having very irregular soundings, the

depth changing at once from twenty-four fathom to seven. At four, we had

seen the land from the mast-head, bearing N. W. by N.; it appeared to be

very low, and to stretch from W. N. W. to N. N. E., distant four or five

leagues. We now hauled close upon a wind till seven, then tacked and

stood to the southward till twelve, at which time we wore and stood to

the northward till four in the morning, then laid the head of the vessel

off till daylight, when we again saw the land, and stood in N. N. W.

directly for it, with a fresh gale at E. by S. Our soundings during the

night were very irregular, from seven to five fathom, suddenly changing

from deep to shallow, and from shallow to deep, without in the least

corresponding with our distance from the land. At half an hour after six

in the morning, a small low island, which lay at the distance of about a

league from the main, bore N. by W. distant five miles: this island lies

in latitude 8° 13ʹ S., longitude 221° 25ʹ W.; and I find it laid down in

the charts by the names of Bartholomew and Whermoysen. We now steered N.

W. by W., W. N. W., W. by N., W. by S., and S. W. by W., as we found the

land lie, with from five to nine fathom; and though we reckoned we were

not more than four leagues from it, yet it was so low and level, that we

could but just see it from the deck. It appeared, however, to be well

covered with wood, and among other trees, we thought we could

distinguish the cocoa-nut. We saw smoke in several places, and therefore

knew there were inhabitants. At noon, we were about three leagues from

the land; the westernmost part of which that was in sight bore S. 79° W.

Our latitude, by observation, was 8° 19ʹ S., and longitude 221° 44ʹ W.

The island of St. Bartholomew bore N. 74 E. distant twenty miles.

After steering S. W. by W. six miles, we had shoal water on our

starboard-bow, which I sent the yawl to sound, and at the same time

hauled off upon a wind till four o’clock; and though, during that time,

we had run six miles, we had not deepened our water an inch. I then

edged away S. W. four miles more; but finding it still shoal water, I

brought to, and called the boats aboard. At this time, being between

three and four leagues from the shore, and the yawl having found only

three fathom water in the place to which I had sent her to sound, I

hauled off close upon a wind, and weathered the shoal about half a mile.

Between one and two o’clock, we passed a bay or inlet, before which lies

a small island that seems to shelter it from the southerly winds; but I

very much doubt whether there is sufficient depth of water behind it for

shipping. I could not attempt to determine the question, because the S.

E. trade-wind blows right into the bay, and we had not as yet had any

breeze from the land.

We stretched off to sea till twelve o’clock, when we were about eleven

leagues from the land, and had deepened our water to twenty-nine fathom.

We now tacked and stood in till five in the morning; when, being in six

fathom and a half, we tacked and laid the head of the vessel off till

daylight, when we saw the land, bearing N. W. by W., at about the

distance of four leagues. We now made sail, and steered first W. S. W.,

then W. by S.; but coming into five fathom and a half, we hauled off S.

W. till we deepened our water to eight fathom, and then kept away W. by

S. and W., having nine fathom, and the land just in sight from the deck;

we judged it to be about four leagues distant, and it was still very low

and woody. Great quantities of the brown scum continued to appear upon

the water, and the sailors having given up the notion of its being

spawn, found a new name for it, and called it Sea-saw-dust. At noon, our

latitude, by observation, was 8° 30ʹ S., our longitude 222° 34ʹ W.; and

Saint Bartholomew’s Isle bore N. 69 E., distant seventy-four miles.

As all this coast appears to have been very minutely examined by the

Dutch, and as our track, with the soundings, will appear by the chart,

it is sufficient to say, that we continued our course to the northward

with very shallow water, upon a bank of mud, at such a distance from the

shore as that it could scarcely be seen from the ship, till the third of

September. During this time we made many attempts to get near enough to

go on shore, but without success; and having now lost six days of fair

wind, at a time when we knew the south-east monsoon to be nearly at an

end, we began to be impatient of farther delay, and determined to run

the ship in as near to the shore as possible, and then land with the

pinnace, while she kept plying off and on, to examine the produce of the

country, and the disposition of the inhabitants. For the two last days

we had early in the morning a light breeze from the shore, which was

strongly impregnated with the fragrance of the trees, shrubs, and

herbage that covered it, the smell being something like that of Gum

Benjamin. On the 3d of September, at day-break, we saw the land

extending from N. by E. to S. E., at about four leagues distance, and we

then kept standing in for it with a fresh gale at E. S. E. and E. by S.

till nine o’clock, when being within about three or four miles of it,

and in three fathom water, we brought to. The pinnace being hoisted out,

I set off from the ship with the boat’s crew, accompanied by Mr. Banks,

who also took his servants, and Dr. Solander, being in all twelve

persons well armed; we rowed directly towards the shore, but the water

was so shallow that we could not reach it by about two hundred yards: we

waded, however, the rest of the way, having left two of the seamen to

take care of the boat. Hitherto we had seen no signs of inhabitants at

this place; but as soon as we got ashore we discovered the prints of

human feet, which could not long have been impressed upon the sand, as

they were below high water mark: we therefore concluded that the people

were at no great distance, and, as a thick wood came down within a

hundred yards of the water, we thought it necessary to proceed with

caution, lest we should fall into an ambuscade and our retreat to the

boat be cut off. We walked along the skirts of the wood, and at the

distance of about two hundred yards from the place where we landed, we

came to a grove of cocoa-nut trees, which stood upon the banks of a

little brook of brackish water. The trees were of a small growth, but

well hung with fruit; and near them was a shed or hut, which had been

covered with their leaves, though most of them were now fallen off:

about the hut lay a great number of the shells of the fruit, some of

which appeared to be just fresh from the tree. We looked at the fruit

very wishfully, but not thinking it safe to climb, we were obliged to

leave it without tasting a single nut. At a little distance from this

place we found plantains, and a bread-fruit tree, but it had nothing

upon it; and having now advanced about a quarter of a mile from the

boat, three Indians rushed out of the wood with a hideous shout, at

about the distance of a hundred yards; and as they ran towards us, the

foremost threw something out of his hand, which flew on one side of him,

and burnt exactly like gunpowder, but made no report: the other two

instantly threw their lances at us; and, as no time was now to be lost,

we discharged our pieces, which were loaded with small shot. It is

probable that they did not feel the shot, for though they halted a

moment, they did not retreat; and a third dart was thrown at us. As we

thought their farther approach might be prevented with less risk of

life, than it would cost to defend ourselves against their attack if

they should come nearer, we loaded our pieces with ball, and fired a

second time: by this discharge it is probable that some of them were

wounded; yet we had the satisfaction to see that they all ran away with

great agility. As I was not disposed forcibly to invade this country,

either to gratify our appetites or our curiosity, and perceived that

nothing was to be done upon friendly terms, we improved this interval,

in which the destruction of the natives was no longer necessary to our

own defence, and with all expedition returned towards our boat. As we

were advancing along the shore, we perceived that the two men on board

made signals that more Indians were coming down; and before we got into

the water, we saw several of them coming round a point at the distance

of about five hundred yards: it is probable that they had met with the

three who first attacked us; for as soon as they saw us they halted, and

seemed to wait till their main body should come up. We entered the

water, and waded towards the boat; and they remained at their station,

without giving us any interruption. As soon as we were aboard we rowed

abreast of them, and their number then appeared to be between sixty and

a hundred. We now took a view of them at our leisure; they made much the

same appearance as the New Hollanders, being nearly of the same stature,

and having their hair short cropped: like them also they were all stark

naked, but we thought the colour of their skin was not quite so dark;

this however might perhaps be merely the effect of their not being quite

so dirty. All this while they were shouting defiance, and letting off

their fires by four or five at a time. What these fires were, or for

what purpose intended, we could not imagine: those who discharged them

had in their hands a short piece of stick, possibly a hollow cane, which

they swung sideways from them, and we immediately saw fire and smoke,

exactly resembling those of a musket, and of no longer duration. This

wonderful phenomenon was observed from the ship, and the deception was

so great, that the people on board thought they had fire-arms; and in

the boat, if we had not been so near as that we must have heard the

report, we should have thought they had been firing volleys. After we

had looked at them attentively some time, without taking any notice of

their flashing and vociferation, we fired some muskets over their heads:

upon hearing the balls rattle among the trees, they walked leisurely

away, and we returned to the ship. Upon examining the weapons they had

thrown at us, we found them to be light darts, about four feet long,

very ill made, of a reed or bamboo cane, and pointed with hard wood, in

which there were many barbs. They were discharged with great force; for

though we were at sixty yards distance, they went beyond us, but in what

manner we could not exactly see: possibly they might be shot with a bow;

but we saw no bows among them when we surveyed them from the boat, and

we were in general of opinion, that they were thrown with a stick, in

the manner practised by the New Hollanders.

This place lies in the latitude of 6° 15ʹ S., and about sixty-five

leagues to the N. E. of Port Saint Augustine, or Walche Caep, and is

near what is called in the charts C. de la Colta de St. Bonaventura. The

land here, like that in every other part of the coast, is very low, but

covered with a luxuriance of wood and herbage that can scarcely be

conceived. We saw the cocoa-nut, the bread-fruit, and the plantain tree,

all flourishing in a state of the highest perfection, though the

cocoa-nuts were green, and the bread-fruit not in season; besides most

of the trees, shrubs, and plants that are common to the South Sea

islands, New Zealand, and New Holland.

Soon after our return to the ship, we hoisted in the boat and made sail

to the westward, being resolved to spend no more time upon this coast,

to the great satisfaction of a very considerable majority of the ship’s

company. But I am sorry to say that I was strongly urged by some of the

officers to send a party of men ashore, and cut down the cocoa-nut trees

for the sake of the fruit. This I peremptorily refused, as equally

unjust and cruel. The natives had attacked us merely for landing upon

their coast, when we attempted to take nothing away, and it was

therefore morally certain that they would have made a vigorous effort to

defend their property if it had been invaded, in which case many of them

must have fallen a sacrifice to our attempt, and perhaps also some of

our own people. I should have regretted the necessity of such a measure,

if I had been in want of the necessaries of life; and certainly it would

have been highly criminal when nothing was to be obtained but two or

three hundred of green cocoa-nuts, which would at most have procured us

a mere transient gratification. I might indeed have proceeded farther

along the coast to the northward and westward, in search of a place

where the ship might have lain so near the shore as to cover the people

with her guns when they landed; but this would have obviated only part

of the mischief, and though it might have secured us, would probably in

the very act have been fatal to the natives. Besides, we had reason to

think that before such a place would have been found, we should have

been carried so far to the westward, as to have been obliged to go to

Batavia, on the north side of Java; which I did not think so safe a

passage as to the south of Java, through the Straights of Sunday: the

ship also was so leaky that I doubted whether it would not be necessary

to heave her down at Batavia, which was another reason for making the

best of our way to that place; especially as no discovery could be

expected in seas which had already been navigated, and where every coast

had been laid down by the Dutch geographers. The Spaniards indeed, as

well as the Dutch, seem to have circumnavigated all the islands in New

Guinea, as almost every place that is distinguished in the chart has a

name in both languages. The charts with which I compared such part of

the coast as I visited, are bound up with a French work, intitled,

“Histoire des Navigations aux Terres Australes,” which was published in

1756, and I found them tolerably exact; yet I know not by whom, nor when

they were taken: and though New Holland and New Guinea are in them

represented as two distinct countries, the very history in which they

are bound up leaves it in doubt. I pretend however to no more merit in

this part of the voyage, than to have established the fact beyond all

controversy.

As the two countries lie very near each other, and the intermediate

space is full of islands, it is reasonable to suppose that they were

both peopled from one common stock: yet no intercourse appears to have

been kept up between them; for if there had, the cocoa-nuts,

bread-fruit, plantains, and other fruits of New Guinea, which are

equally necessary for the support of life, would certainly have been

transplanted to New Holland, where no traces of them are to be found.

The author of the “Histoire des Navigations aux Terres Australes,” in

his account of La Maire’s voyage, has given a vocabulary of the language

that is spoken in an island near New Britain, and we find, by comparing

that vocabulary with the words which we learnt in New Holland, that the

languages are not the same. If, therefore, it should appear, that the

languages of New Britain and New Guinea are the same, there will be

reason to suppose that New Britain and New Guinea were peopled from a

common stock; but that the inhabitants of New Holland had a different

origin, notwithstanding the proximity of the countries.

CHAP. VIII.

THE PASSAGE FROM NEW GUINEA TO THE ISLAND OF SAVU, AND THE TRANSACTIONS

THERE.

WE made sail, from noon on Monday the 3d to noon on Tuesday the 4th,

standing to the westward, and all the time kept in soundings, having

from fourteen to thirty fathom; not regular, but sometimes more,

sometimes less. At noon on the 4th, we were in fourteen fathom, and

latitude 6° 44ʹ S., longitude 223° 51ʹ W.; our course and distance since

the 3d at noon, were S. 76 W. one hundred and twenty miles to the

westward. At noon on the 5th of September, we were in latitude 7° 25ʹ

S., longitude 225° 41ʹ W.; having been in soundings the whole time from

ten to twenty fathom.

At half an hour after one in the morning of the next day, we passed a

small island which bore from us N. N. W., distant between three and four

miles; and at day-light we discovered another low island, extending from

N. N. W. to N. N. E., distant about two or three leagues. Upon this

island, which did not appear to be very small, I believe I should have

landed to examine its produce, if the wind had not blown too fresh to

admit of it. When we passed this island we had only ten fathom water,

with a rocky bottom; and therefore I was afraid of running down to

leeward, lest I should meet with shoal water and foul ground. These

islands have no place in the charts except they are the Arrou islands;

and if these, they are laid down much too far from New Guinea. I found

the south part of them to lie in latitude 7° 6ʹ S., longitude 225° W.

We continued to steer W. S. W. at the rate of four miles and a half an

hour, till ten o’clock at night, when we had forty-two fathom, at eleven

we had thirty-seven, at twelve forty-five, at one in the morning

forty-nine, and at three 120, after which we had no ground. At

day-light, we made all the sail we could, and at ten o’clock, saw land,

extending from N. N. W. to W. by N., distant between five and six

leagues: at noon, it bore from N. to W., and at about the same distance:

it appeared to be level, and of a moderate height. By our distance from

New Guinea, it ought to have been part of the Arrou islands, but it lies

a degree farther to the south than any of these islands are laid down in

the charts; and by the latitude should be Timor Laoet: we sounded, but

had no ground with fifty fathom.

As I was not able to satisfy myself from any chart, what land it was

that I saw to leeward, and fearing that it might trend away more

southerly, the weather also being so hazy that we could not see far, I

steered S. W., and by four had lost sight of the island. I was now sure

that no part of it lay to the southward of 8° 15ʹ S., and continued

standing to the S. W. with an easy sail, and a fresh breeze at S. E. by

E. and E. S. E.: we sounded every hour, but had no bottom with 120

fathom.

At day-break, in the morning, we steered W. S. W., and afterwards W. by

S., which by noon brought us into the latitude of 9° 30ʹ S., longitude

229° 34ʹ W., and by our run from New Guinea, we ought to have been

within sight of Weasel isles, which in the charts are laid down at the

distance of twenty or twenty-five leagues from the coast of New Holland;

we, however, saw nothing, and, therefore, they must have been placed

erroneously; nor can this be thought strange, when it is considered that

not only these islands, but the coast which bounds this sea, have been

discovered and explored by different people, and at different times, and

the charts upon which they are delineated, put together by others,

perhaps at the distance of more than a century after the discoveries had

been made; not to mention that the discoverers themselves had not all

the requisites for keeping an accurate journal, of which those of the

present age are possessed.

We continued our course, steering W. till the evening of the 8th, when

the variation of the compass, by several azimuths, was 12ʹ W., and by

the amplitude 5ʹ W. At noon, on the 9th, our latitude, by observation,

was 9° 46ʹ S., longitude 232° 7ʹ W. For the last two days, we had

steered due W., yet, by observation, we made sixteen miles southing, six

miles from noon on the 6th to noon on the 7th, and ten miles from noon

on the 7th to noon on the 8th, by which it appeared that there was a

current setting to the southward. At sunset, we found the variation to

be 2ʹ W., and at the same time, saw an appearance of very high land

bearing N. W.

In the morning of the 10th, we saw clearly that what had appeared to be

land the night before, was Timor. At noon, our latitude, by observation,

was 10° 1ʹ S., which was fifteen miles to the southward of that given by

the log; our longitude, by observation, was 233° 27ʹ W. We steered N. W.

in order to obtain a more distinct view of the land in sight, till four

o’clock in the morning of the 11th, when the wind came to the N. W. and

W., with which we stood to the southward till nine, when we tacked and

stood N. W., having the wind now at W. S. W. At sun-rise, the land had

appeared to extend from W. N. W. to N. E., and at noon, we could see it

extend to the westward as far as W. by S. ½ S., but no farther to the

eastward than N. by E. We were now well assured, that as the first land

we had seen was Timor, the last island we had passed was Timor Laoet, or

Laut. Laoet is a word, in the language of Malaca, signifying sea, and

this island was named by the inhabitants of that country. The south part

of it lies in latitude 8° 15ʹ S., longitude 228° 10ʹ W., but in the

charts the south point is laid down in various latitudes, from 8° 30ʹ to

9° 30ʹ: it is indeed possible that the land we saw might be some other

island, but the presumption to the contrary is very strong, for if Timor

Laut had lain where it is placed in the charts, we must have seen it

there. We were now in latitude 9° 37ʹ S.; longitude, by an observation

of the sun and moon, 233° 54ʹ W.; we were the day before in 233° 27ʹ;

the difference is 27ʹ, exactly the same that was given by the log: this,

however, is a degree of accuracy in observation that is seldom to be

expected. In the afternoon, we stood in shore till eight in the evening,

when we tacked and stood off, being at the distance of about three

leagues from the land, which at sun-set extended from S. W. ½ W. to N.

E.: at this time we sounded, and had no ground with 140 fathom. At

midnight, having but little wind, we tacked and stood in, and at noon

the next day, our latitude, by observation, was 9° 36ʹ S. This day, we

saw smoke on shore in several places, and had seen many fires during the

night. The land appeared to be very high, rising in gradual slopes one

above another: the hills were in general covered with thick woods, but

among them we could distinguish naked spots of a considerable extent,

which had the appearance of having been cleared by art. At five o’clock

in the afternoon, we were within a mile and a half of the shore, in

sixteen fathom water, and abreast of a small inlet into the low land,

which lies in latitude 9° 34ʹ S., and probably is the same that Dampier

entered with his boat, for it did not seem to have sufficient depth of

water for a ship. The land here answered well to the description that he

has given of it: close to the beach, it was covered with high spiry

trees, which he mentions as having the appearance of pines; behind these

there seemed to be salt-water creeks, and many mangroves, interspersed

however with cocoa-nut trees: the flat land at the beach appeared in

some places to extend inward two or three miles before the rise of the

first hill; in this part, however, we saw no appearance of plantations

or houses, but great fertility, and from the number of fires, we judged

that the place must be well peopled.

When we had approached within a mile and a half of the shore, we tacked

and stood off, and the extremes of the coast then extended from N. E. by

E. to W. by S. ½ S. The south-westerly extremity was a low point,

distant from us about three leagues. While we were standing in for the

shore, we sounded several times, but had no ground till we came within

about two miles and a half, and then we had five and twenty fathom, with

a soft bottom. After we had tacked, we stood off till midnight, with the

wind at S.; we then tacked and stood two hours to the westward, when the

wind veered to S. W. and W. S. W., and we then stood to the southward

again. In the morning, we found the variation to be 1° 10ʹ W. by the

amplitude, and by the azimuth 1° 27ʹ. At noon, our latitude was, by

observation, 9° 45ʹ S., our longitude 234° 12ʹ W.; we were then about

seven leagues distant from the land, which extended from N. 31 E., to W.

S. W. ½ W.

With light land breezes from W. by N. for a few hours in a morning, and

sea breezes from S. S. W. and S., we advanced to the westward but

slowly. At noon, on the 14th, we were between six and seven leagues from

the land, which extended from N. by E., to S. 78 W.; we still saw smoke

in many places by day, and fire by night, both upon the low land and the

mountains beyond it. We continued steering along the shore, till the

morning of the 15th, the land still appearing hilly, but not so high as

it had been: the hills in general came quite down to the sea, and where

they did not, we saw, instead of flats and mangrove land, immense groves

of cocoa-nut trees, reaching about a mile up from the beach: there the

plantations and houses commenced, and appeared to be innumerable. The

houses were shaded by groves of the fan palm, or _borassus_, and the

plantations, which were inclosed by a fence, reached almost to the tops

of the highest hills. We saw, however, neither people nor cattle, though

our glasses were continually employed, at which we were not a little

surprised.

We continued our course, with little variation, till nine o’clock in the

morning of the 16th, when we saw the small island called ROTTE; and at

noon the island SEMAU, lying off the south end of Timor, bore N. W.

Dampier, who has given a large description of the island of Timor, says,

that it is seventy leagues long, and sixteen broad, and that it lies

nearly N. E. and S. W. I found the east side of it to lie nearest N. E.

by E. and S. W. by W., and the south end to lie in latitude 10° 23ʹ S.,

longitude 236° 5ʹ W. We ran about forty-five leagues along the east

side, and found the navigation altogether free from danger. The land,

which is bounded by the sea, except near the south end, is low for two

or three miles within the beach, and in general intersected by salt

creeks: behind the low land are mountains, which rise one above another

to a considerable height. We steered W. N. W. till two in the afternoon,

when being within a small distance of the north end of Rotte, we hauled

up N. N. W. in order to go between it and Semau: after steering three

leagues upon this course, we edged away N. W. and W., and by six we were

clear of all the islands. At this time, the south part of Semau, which

lies in latitude 10° 15ʹ S., bore N. E., distant four leagues, and the

island of Rotte extended as far to the southward as S. 36 W. The north

end of this island, and the south end of Timor, lie N. ½ E. and S. ½ W.,

and are about three or four leagues distant from each other. At the west

end of the passage between Rotte and Semau, are two small islands, one

of which lies near the Rotte shore, and the other off the south-west

point of Semau: there is a good channel between them, about six miles

broad, through which we passed. The isle of Rotte has not so lofty and

mountainous an appearance as Timor, though it is agreeably diversified

by hill and valley: on the north side, there are many sandy beaches,

near which grew some trees of the fan palm, but the far greater part was

covered with a kind of brushy wood, that was without leaves. The

appearance of Semau was nearly the same with that of Timor, but not

quite so high. About ten o’clock at night, we observed a phænomenon in

the heavens, which, in many particulars, resembled the aurora borealis,

and in others was very different: it consisted of a dull reddish light,

and reached about twenty degrees above the horizon: its extent was very

different at different times, but it was never less than eight or ten

points of the compass: through and out of this passed rays of light of a

brighter colour, which vanished, and were renewed nearly in the same

time as those of the aurora borealis, but had no degree of the tremulous

or vibratory motion which is observed in that phænomenon: the body of it

bore S. S. E. from the ship, and it continued without any diminution of

its brightness, till twelve o’clock, when we retired to sleep, but how

long afterwards, I cannot tell.

Being clear of all the islands which are laid down in the maps we had on

board, between Timor and Java, we steered a west course till six o’clock

the next morning, when we unexpectedly saw an island bearing W. S. W.,

and at first I thought we had made a new discovery. We steered directly

for it, and by ten o’clock were close in with the north side of it,

where we saw houses, cocoa-nut trees, and to our very agreeable

surprise, numerous flocks of sheep. This was a temptation not to be

resisted by people in our situation, especially as many of us were in a

bad state of health, and many still repining at my not having touched at

Timor; it was therefore soon determined to attempt a commerce with

people who appeared to be so well able to supply our many necessities,

and remove at once the sickness and discontent that had got footing

among us. The pinnace was hoisted out, and Mr. Gore, the second

lieutenant, sent to see if there was any convenient place to land,

taking with him some trifles as presents to the natives, if any of them

should appear. While he was gone, we saw from the ship two men on

horseback, who seemed to be riding upon the hills for their amusement,

and often stopped to look at the ship. By this we knew that the place

had been settled by Europeans, and hoped, that the many disagreeable

circumstances which always attend the first establishment of commerce

with savages, would be avoided. In the mean time, Mr. Gore landed in a

small sandy cove near some houses, and was met by eight or ten of the

natives, who, as well in their dress as their persons, very much

resembled the Malays: they were without arms, except the knives which it

is their custom to wear in their girdles, and one of them had a jack-ass

with him. They courteously invited him ashore, and conversed with him by

signs, but very little of the meaning of either party could be

understood by the other. In a short time, he returned with this report,

and, to our great mortification, added, that there was no anchorage for

the ship. I sent him, however, a second time, with both money and goods,

that he might, if possible, purchase some refreshments, at least for the

sick; and Dr. Solander went in the boat with him. In the mean time, I

kept standing on and off with the ship, which at this time was within

about a mile of the shore. Before the boat could land, we saw two other

horsemen, one of whom was in a complete European dress, consisting of a

blue coat, a white waistcoat, and a laced hat: these people, when the

boat came to the shore, took little notice of her, but sauntered about,

and seemed to look with great curiosity at the ship. We saw however

other horsemen, and a great number of persons on foot, gather round our

people, and, to our great satisfaction, perceived several cocoa-nuts

carried into the boat, from which we concluded that peace and commerce

were established between us.

After the boat had been ashore about an hour and a half, she made the

signal for having intelligence that there was a bay to leeward, where we

might anchor: we stood away directly for it, and the boat following,

soon came on board. The lieutenant told us, that he had seen some of the

principal people, who were dressed in fine linen, and had chains of gold

round their necks: he said, that he had not been able to trade, because

the owner of the cocoa-nuts was absent, but that about two dozen had

been sent to the boat as a present, and that some linen had been

accepted in return. The people, to give him the information that he

wanted, drew a map upon the sand, in which they made a rude

representation of a harbour to leeward, and a town near it: they also

gave him to understand, that sheep, hogs, fowls, and fruit, might there

be procured in great plenty. Some of them frequently pronounced the word

Portuguese, and said something of Larntuca upon the island of Ende: from

this circumstance, we conjectured that there were Portuguese somewhere

upon the island, and a Portuguese, who was in our boat, attempted to

converse with the Indians in that language, but soon found that they

knew only a word or two of it by rote: one of them, however, when they

were giving our people to understand that there was a town near the

harbour to which they had directed us, intimated, that as a token of

going right, we should see somewhat, which he expressed by crossing his

fingers, and the Portuguese instantly conceived that he meant to express

a cross. Just as our people were putting off, the horseman in the

European dress came up, but the officer not having his commission about

him, thought it best to decline a conference.

At seven o’clock in the evening, we came to an anchor in the bay to

which we had been directed, at about the distance of a mile from the

shore, in thirty-eight fathom water, with a clear sandy bottom. The

north point of the bay bore N. 30 E., distant two miles and a half, and

the south point, or west end of the island, bore S. 63 W. Just as we got

round the north point, and entered the bay, we discovered a large Indian

town or village, upon which we stood on, hoisting a jack on the fore

top-mast head: soon after, to our great surprise, Dutch colours were

hoisted in the town, and three guns fired; we stood on, however, till we

had soundings, and then anchored.

As soon as it was light in the morning, we saw the same colours hoisted

upon the beach, abreast of the ship; supposing therefore that the Dutch

had a settlement here, I sent Lieutenant Gore ashore, to wait upon the

Governor, or the chief person residing upon the spot, and acquaint him

who we were, and for what purpose we had touched upon the coast. As soon

as he came ashore, he was received by a guard of between twenty and

thirty Indians, armed with muskets, who conducted him to the town, where

the colours had been hoisted the night before, carrying with them those

that had been hoisted upon the beach, and marching without any military

regularity. As soon as he arrived, he was introduced to the Raja, or

King of the island; and by a Portuguese interpreter, told him, that the

ship was a man of war belonging to the King of Great Britain, and that

she had many sick on board, for whom we wanted to purchase such

refreshments as the island afforded. His majesty replied, that he was

willing to supply us with whatever we wanted, but that, being in

alliance with the Dutch East India Company, he was not at liberty to

trade with any other people, without having first procured their

consent, for which, however, he said, he would immediately apply to a

Dutchman who belonged to the company, and who was the only white man

upon the island. To this man, who resided at some distance, a letter was

immediately dispatched, acquainting him with our arrival and request: in

the mean time, Mr. Gore dispatched a messenger to me, with an account of

his situation, and the state of the treaty. In about three hours, the

Dutch resident answered the letter that had been sent him, in person: he

proved to be a native of Saxony, and his name is Johan Christopher

Lange, and the same person whom we had seen on horseback in a European

dress: he behaved with great civility to Mr. Gore, and assured him, that

we were at liberty to purchase of the natives whatever we pleased. After

a short time, he expressed a desire of coming on board, so did the King

also, and several of his attendants: Mr. Gore intimated that he was

ready to attend them, but they desired that two of our people might be

left ashore as hostages: and in this also they were indulged.

About two o’clock, they all came aboard the ship, and our dinner being

ready, they accepted our invitation to partake of it: I expected them

immediately to sit down, but the King seemed to hesitate, and at last,

with some confusion, said, he did not imagine that we, who were white

men, would suffer him, who was of a different colour, to sit down in our

company; a compliment soon removed his scruples, and we all sat down

together with great cheerfulness and cordiality: happily we were at no

loss for interpreters, both Dr. Solander and Mr. Sporing understanding

Dutch enough to keep up a conversation with Mr. Lange, and several of

the seamen were able to converse with such of the natives as spoke

Portuguese. Our dinner happened to be mutton, and the King expressed a

desire of having an English sheep; we had but one left, however that was

presented to him: the facility with which this was procured, encouraged

him to ask for an English dog, and Mr. Banks politely gave up his

greyhound: Mr Lange then intimated that a spying-glass would be

acceptable, and one was immediately put into his hand. Our guests then

told us, that the island abounded with buffaloes, sheep, hogs, and

fowls, plenty of which should be driven down to the beach the next day,

that we might purchase as many of them as we should think fit: this put

us all into high spirits, and the liquor circulated rather faster than

either the Indians or the Saxon could bear; they intimated their desire

to go away, however, before they were quite drunk, and were received

upon deck, as they had been when they came aboard, by the marines under

arms. The King expressed a curiosity to see them exercise, in which he

was gratified, and they fired three rounds: he looked at them with great

attention, and was much surprised at their regularity and expedition,

especially in cocking their pieces; the first time they did it, he

struck the side of the ship with a stick that he had in his hand, and

cried out with great vehemence, that all the locks made but one clink.

They were dismissed with many presents, and when they went away saluted

with nine guns: Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went ashore with them; and as

soon as they put off they gave us three cheers.

Our gentlemen, when they came ashore, walked up with them to the town,

which consists of many houses, and some of them are large; they are

however nothing more than a thatched roof, supported over a boarded

floor by pillars about four feet high. They produced some of their

palm-wine, which was the fresh unfermented juice of the tree; it had a

sweet, but not a disagreeable taste; and hopes were conceived that it

might contribute to recover our sick from the scurvy. Soon after it was

dark, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander returned on board.

In the morning of the 19th, I went ashore with Mr. Banks, and several of

the officers and gentlemen, to return the King’s visit; but my chief

business was to procure some of the buffaloes, sheep, and fowls, which

we had been told should be driven down to the beach. We were greatly

mortified to find, that no steps had been taken to fulfil this promise;

however, we proceeded to the house of assembly, which, with two or three

more, had been erected by the Dutch East-India Company, and are

distinguished from the rest by two pieces of wood resembling a pair of

cow’s horns, one of which is set up at each end of the ridge that

terminates the roof; and these were certainly what the Indian intended

to represent by crossing his fingers, though our Portuguese, who was a

good Catholic, construed the sign into a cross, which had persuaded us

that the settlement belonged to his countrymen. In this place we met Mr.

Lange and the King, whose name was A Madocho Lomi Djara, attended by

many of the principal people. We told them that we had in the boat goods

of various kinds, which we proposed to barter for such refreshments as

they would give us in exchange, and desired leave to bring them on

shore; which being granted, they were brought ashore accordingly. We

then attempted to settle the price of the buffaloes, sheep, hogs, and

other commodities which we proposed to purchase, and for which we were

to pay in money; but as soon as this was mentioned, Mr. Lange left us,

telling us, that these preliminaries must be settled with the natives:

he said, however, that he had received a letter from the Governor of

Concordia in Timor, the purport of which he would communicate to us when

he returned.

As the morning was now far advanced, and we were very unwilling to

return on board and eat salt provisions, when so many delicacies

surrounded us ashore, we petitioned his Majesty for liberty to purchase

a small hog and some rice, and to employ his subjects to dress them for

us. He answered very graciously, that if we could eat victuals dressed

by his subjects, which he could scarcely suppose, he would do himself

the honour of entertaining us. We expressed our gratitude, and

immediately sent on board for liquors.

About five o’clock, dinner was ready; it was served in six-and-thirty

dishes, or rather baskets, containing alternately rice and pork; and

three bowls of earthen ware, filled with the liquor in which the pork

had been boiled: these were ranged upon the floor, and mats laid round

them for us to sit upon. We were then conducted by turns to a hole in

the floor, near which stood a man with water in a vessel, made of the

leaves of the fan-palm, who assisted us in washing our hands. When this

was done, we placed ourselves round the victuals, and waited for the

King. As he did not come, we inquired for him, and were told that the

custom of the country did not permit the person who gave the

entertainment to sit down with his guests; but that, if we suspected the

victuals to be poisoned, he would come and taste it. We immediately

declared that we had no such suspicion, and desired that none of the

rituals of hospitality might be violated on our account. The prime

minister and Mr. Lange were of our party, and we made a most luxurious

meal: we thought the pork and rice excellent, and the broth not to be

despised; but the spoons, which were made of leaves, were so small, that

few of us had patience to use them. After dinner, our wine passed

briskly about, and we again inquired for our royal host, thinking that

though the custom of his country would not allow him to eat with us, he

might at least share in the jollity of our bottle; but he again excused

himself, saying, that the master of a feast should never be drunk, which

there was no certain way to avoid but by not tasting the liquor. We did

not, however, drink our wine where we had eaten our victuals; but as

soon as we had dined, made room for the seamen and servants, who

immediately took our places: they could not dispatch all that we had

left, but the women who came to clear away the bowls and baskets,

obliged them to carry away with them what they had not eaten. As wine

generally warms and opens the heart, we took an opportunity, when we

thought its influence began to be felt, to revive the subject of the

buffaloes and sheep, of which we had not in all this time heard a

syllable, though they were to have been brought down early in the

morning. But our Saxon Dutchman, with great phlegm, began to communicate

to us the contents of the letter which he pretended to have received

from the Governor of Concordia. He said, that after acquainting him that

a vessel had steered from thence towards the island where we were now

ashore, it required him, if such ship should apply for provisions in

distress, to relieve her; but not to suffer her to stay longer than was

absolutely necessary, nor to make any large presents to the inferior

people, or to leave any with those of superior rank to be afterwards

distributed among them: but he was graciously pleased to add, that we

were at liberty to give beads and other trifles in exchange for petty

civilities, and palm-wine.

It was the general opinion, that this letter was a fiction; that the

prohibitory orders were feigned with a view to get money from us for

breaking them; and that, by precluding our liberality to the natives,

this man hoped more easily to turn it into another channel.