];y ci.ivk loki), f.l.s. y 



"When they first came in sight, they made a prodigious 

 "clattering in their speech, and held their arms over their 

 "heads. They spoke so quick that I could not catch one 

 "single wcrd they uttered. We recollected one man, whom 

 "we had formerly seen among the party of the natives that 



"came to us in 1777 Some of them had a small stick, 



"two or three feet long, in their hands, but no other weapon. 



"Their colour, as Captain Cook remarks, is a dull black; 

 "their skin is scarified about their shoulders and breast. They 

 "are of middle stature, or rather below it. One of them was 

 "distinguished by his body being coloured with red cker, but 

 "all the others were painted black, with a kind of soot, 

 "which was laid on so thick over their faces and shoulders 

 "that it is difficult to say what they were like. 



"They ran very nimbly over the rocks, had a very quick 

 "sight, and caught the small beads and nails which I threw 

 "to them with great dexterity. They talked to us sitting on 

 "their heels, with their knees close into their armpits, and 

 "were perfectly naked." 



The foregoing reference to the Tasmanian aborigines is 

 given almost in full, because of its interest as a first-hand ob- 

 servation of these natives in their primitive state. So many 

 of the records relating to the former inhabitants of our 

 Island State arc based on observations made after the set- 

 tlement, that it behoves all who take an interest in the 

 characteristics of the departed race to take every opportunity 

 of referring to th-^sc> records, alas! so few in number, which 

 were made by the early explorers in the era preceding the 

 settlement. 



Apart from Bligh's personal observations with regard to 

 the dusky inhabitants of Adventure Bay, we have the testi- 

 mony of Brown, the botanist, who met several during the 

 course of his excursions in the bush. Brown also re- 

 ported that he "saw some miserable wigwams, in which were 

 "nothing but a few kangaroo skins spread on the ground, and 

 "a basket made of rushes." 



On the same day as he had the intei'view with the 

 natives Bligh landed on the point near Penguin Island, and 

 from the high land in the vicinity secured an extensive 

 view of what he took to be Frederick Henry Bay, but which 

 was in reality the channel which now bears the name of 

 D'Entrecasteaux, after its French discoverer. Bligh also 

 refers to the island "in or near the middle of the bay." The 

 island referred to being now known — in company with many 

 otiu IS around the shores of Tasmania — as Green Island. 



