114 AVOYAGETO 



'777- porary purpofes ; and many of their largefl: trees were con- 



'— V ' verted into more comfortable habitations. Thefe had their 



trunks hollowed out by fire, to the height of fix or feven 

 feet; and that they take up their abode in them fometimes, 

 was evident from the hearths, made of clay, to contain the 

 fire in the middle, leaving room for four or five perfons to 

 fit round it *. At the fame time, thefe places of fhelter are 

 durable; for they take care to leave one fide of the tree 

 found, which is fufficient to keep it growing as luxuriantly 

 as thofe which remain untouched. 



The inhabitants of this place are, doubtlefs, from the 

 fame Hock with thofe of the Northern parts of New Hol- 

 land. Though fome of the circumftances mentioned by 

 Dampier, relative to thofe he met with on the Weflern coafl 

 of this country, fuch as their defedlive fight, and want of 

 fore-teeth, are not found here; and though Hawkefworth's 

 account of thofe met with by Captain Cook on the Eall fide, 

 lliews alfo that they differ in many refpecTts; yet fiill, upon 

 the whole, I am perfuaded that diflance of place, entire fe- 

 paration, diverfity of climate, and length of time, all concur- 

 ring tq operate, will account for greater differences, both 

 as to their perfons and as to their cuftoms, than really exitl 

 between our Van Diemen's Land natives, and thofe defcribed 

 by Dampier, and in Captain Cook's firfl voyage. This is cer- 

 tain, that the figure of one of thofe feen in Endeavour Pviver, 

 and reprefented in Sidney Parkinfon's Journal of that voyage, 

 very much refembles our vifiters in Adventure Bay. That 

 there is not the like refemblance in their language, is a cir- 

 cumftance that need not create any difficulty. For though 



* Tafman, 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 fixty or fixty-five feet high, from the root to the branches. See his 

 Voyage, in Harris's Colkcfion, Campbell's Edition., Vol. i. p. 326. 



the 



