MISCELLANIES. 
- shores of the large island were 
many huts, surrounded by palisa- 
des, apparently of bamboo; cocoa- 
nut trees were abundant, beth on 
the low grounds and the sides of 
the hills, and plantains, with 
some other fruits, had been 
brought to us. There were many 
Indians sitting in groups upon 
the shore, and the seven canoes 
which came off to the ship in the 
morning, contained from ten to 
twenty men each, or together, 
about a hundred. If we suppose 
these hundred men to have been 
one half of what belonged to the 
islands, and to the two hundred 
men, add as many women and 
three hundred children, the po- 
pulation of Murray’s Isles will 
amount to seven hundred; of 
which nearly the whole must be- 
long to the larger island. 
ACCOUNT OF WELLESLEY’S 
ISLANDS ON THE NORTH 
COAST OF TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
(From the Same.) 
Allen’s Isle is between four and 
five miles in length, and though 
generally barren, there are bushes 
and small trees upon it, and some 
tolerable grass. It is altogether 
low land; but the south-east end 
is cliffy, and within two cables 
length of it there is 4 fathoms ; 
no fresh water was found near 
the shore, nor any place where 
casks could be conveniently land- 
ed. After taking a set of bear- 
ings I left the gentlemen to follow 
their pursuits, and rowed north- 
westward, intending to go round 
the island; but an impassable 
reef extended so far out, that the 
Vor. LVI. 
er ends closing to a point. 
545 
. 
project. was given up; and after 
taking angles from one of the 
rocks, I went eastward to a smaller 
island, two miles off, where se- 
veral Indians were perceived. 
The water was too shallow for the 
boat to get near them; but we 
landed at a little distance, and 
walked after three men who were 
dragging six small rafts toward 
the extreme northern rocks, 
where three other natives were 
sitting, 
These men not choosing to 
abandon their rafts, an interview 
was unavoidable, and they came 
on shore with their spears to wait 
our approach. One of us ad- 
vanced towards them, unarmed ; 
and signs being made to Jay down 
their spears, which were under- 
stood to mean that they should 
sit down, they complied ; and by 
degrees, a friendly intercourse 
was established. They accepted 
some red worsted caps and fillets, 
as also a hatchet and an adze, the 
use of which being explained, 
was immediately comprehended. 
In return, they gave us two very 
rude spears, and a womerah, or 
throwing stick, of nearly the same 
form as those used by the natives 
of Port Jackson. 
The rafts consisted of several 
straight branches of mangrove, 
very much dried, and lashed to- 
_gether in two places with the 
largest ends one way, so as to 
form a broad part, and.the small- 
Near 
the broad end was a bunch of 
grass, where the man sits to pad- 
dle ; but the raft, with his weight 
alone, must swim very deep ; and 
indeed I should scarcely have sup- 
posed it could float a man at all. 
Upon one of the rafts was a.short 
2N 
