1777' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 193 



seven feet; and that they take up their abode in 

 them sometimes, was evident from the hearths, made 

 of clay, to contain the fire in the middle, leaving 

 room for four or five persons to sit round it.* At 

 the same time, these places of shelter are durable; 

 for they take care to leave one side of the tree sound, 

 which is sufficient to keep it growing as luxuriantly 

 as those which remain untouched. 



"The inhabitants of this place are, doubtless, from 

 the same stock with those of the northern parts of 

 New Holland. Though some of the circumstances 

 mentioned by Dampier, relative to those he met with 

 on the western coast of this country, such as their 

 defective sight, and want of fore-teeth, are not found 

 here; and though Hawkesworth's account of those 

 met with by Captain Cook on the east side, shows also 

 that they differ in many respects; yet still, upon the 

 whole, I am persuaded that distance of place, entire 

 separation, diversity of climate, and length of time, 

 all concurring to operate, will account for greater 

 differences, both as to their persons and as to their 

 customs, than really exist between our Van Diemen's 

 Land natives, and those described by Dampier, and 

 in Captain Cook's first voyage. This is certain, that 

 the figure of one of those seen in Endeavour River, 

 and represented in Sidney Parkinson's Journal of 

 that voyage, very much resembles our visitors in 

 Adventure Bay. That there is not the like resem- 

 blance in their language, is a circumstance that need 

 not create any difficulty. For though the agreement 

 of the languages of people living distant from each 

 other, may be assumed as a strong argument for 

 their having sprung from one common source ; dis- 



* Tasman, when in the bay of Frederick Henry, adjoining to 

 Adventure Bay, found two trees, one of which was two fathoms, 

 and the other two fathoms and a half in girth, and sixty or sixty- 

 five feet high, from the root to the branches. See his Voyage, in 

 Harris's Collection, Campbell's Edition, vol. i. p. 326. 



VOL. V. O 



