41 6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



started from New Zealand to the eastern coast of New Holland, visit- 

 ing, among other places, a spot which, on account of the number of 

 plants found there by Mr. (afterward Sir Joseph) Banks, received the 

 name of Botany Bay. Afterward, when detained in Endeavor River 

 (about 15 south latitude) by the need of repairing a hole made in the 

 vessel by a rock (part of which, fortunately, itself stuck in the hole it 

 made). Captain Cook tells us that on Friday, June 22, 1770, "some of 

 the people were sent on the other side of the water, to shoot pigeons for 

 the sick, who at their return reported that they had seen an animal, 

 as large as a greyhound, of a slender make, a mouse-color, and ex- 

 tremely swift." On the next day, he tells us : " This day almost 

 everybody had seen the animal which the pigeon-shooters had brought 

 an account of the day before ; and one of the seamen, who had been 

 rambling in the woods, told us on his return that he verily believed 

 he had seen the devil. We naturally inquired in what form he had 

 appeared, and his answer was, says John, ' As large as a one-gallon 

 keg, and very like it; he had horns and wings, yet he crept so slowly 

 through the grass that, if I had not been afeared, I might have 

 touched him.' This formidable apparition we afterward, however, 

 discovered to have been a bat (a Flying Fox). . . . Early the next 

 day," Captain Cook continues, " as I was walking in the morning, at a 

 little distance from the ship, I saw myself one of the animals which 

 had been described; it was of a light mouse-color, and in size and 

 shape very much resembling a greyhound; it had a long tail also, 

 which it carried like a greyhound; and I should have taken it for a 

 wild-dog if, instead of running, it had not leaped like a hare or deer." 

 Mr. Banks also had an imperfect view of this animal, and was of 

 opinion that its species was hitherto itnknown. The work exhibits an 

 excellent figure of the animal. Again, on Sunday, July 8th, being still 

 in Endeavor River, Captain Cook tells us that some of the crew " set 

 out, with the first dawn, in search of game, and in a walk of many 

 miles they saw four animals of the same kind, two of which Mr. 

 Banks's greyhound fairly chased ; but they threw him out at a great 

 distance, by leaping over the long, thick grass, which prevented his 

 running. This animal was observed not to run upon four legs, but to 

 bound or leap forward upon two, like the jerboa." Finally, on Satur- 

 day, July 14th, " Mr. Gore, who went out with his gun, had tlie good 

 fortune to kill one of these animals which had been so much the sub- 

 ject of our speculation ; " adding, " This animal is called by the natives 

 kanguroo. The next day (Sunday, July 15th) our kanguroo was 

 dressed for dinner, and proved most excellent meat." 



Such is the earliest notice of this ci-eature's observation by Eng- 

 lishmen ; but Cornelius de Bruins, a Dutch traveler, saw,' as early as 

 1711, specimens of a species (now named after him, Macrojpus Brunii), 



' See Cornells de Bruins, " Reizen over Moskorie, door Persie en Indie." Amster- 

 dam, 1714, p. 374, Fig. 213 



