Menzics' Journal. 



Homfray Channel. 67 



the Rock & supporting Houses apparently well secure! — 

 These also acted as a defence by increasing the natural 

 strength of the place & rendering it still more secure & 

 inaccessable. From the fresh appearance of every thing 

 about this Village & the intollerable stench it would seem as 

 if it had been very lately occupied by the Natives. The 

 narrow Lanes between the Houses were full of filth N 

 nastiness & swarmd with myriads of Fleas which fixd them- 

 selves on our Shoes Stockings & cloths in such incredible 

 number that the whole party was obligd to quit the rock in 

 great precipitation, leaving the remainder of these Assailants 

 in full posession of their Garrison without the least desire of 

 facing again such troublesome enemy. We no sooner got 

 to the Water side than some immediately stripped them- 

 selves quite naked & immersed their Cloth, others plungd 

 themselves wholly into the Sea in expectation of drowning 

 their adherents, but to little or no purpose, for after being 

 submersd for some time they leapd about as frisky as ever ; 

 in short we towd some of the Cloths astern of the Boats, 

 but nothing would clear them of this Vermin till in the even- 

 ing we steepd them in boiling water. 



From what we saw & experienced the few minutes we 

 were in this Village we have no doubt but these troublesome 

 guests have obligd its late Inhabitants to quit it & remove 

 to some fresh situation, & this will in some measure account 

 for the number of deserted villages we have observd in our 

 different excursions through this Country. The Natives 

 being so indolent & filthy in their manner of living, that 

 Vermin & their own nastiness obliges them often to quit 

 their situation & move about from one place to another. 



We pulled out a little from the Shore & lay on our Oars 

 before the Village while Mr. Humphries took a sketch of it, 

 & tho I can give but a very unequal idea of its romantic 

 appearance, yet I will attempt to follow the expressive / 

 strokes of his Pencil in a few words. 



The Rock itself is somewhat round of a moderate 

 height & projects into the Cove; its face is here & there over- 

 grown with Raspberries & other Bushes, while the Summit 

 is occupied with the crouded remains of the Village consist- 

 ing of posts spurs & planks crossing each other with the 

 utmost confusion in all directions. At the landing place 

 which is a small Beach close to the Rock are standing the 



1792. 

 Juue 27tb. 



