igo ExpcdiiioH of Captain Baudhii 



EXPEDITION OK CAPTAIN BAUDIN. ' 



CopTf of a Letter addressed to C. Grrgoircy Mevilct of the 

 French Senate^ 



Straits of Basle, Kitv^'s Island, 

 N. V. 27111, 1802. 



You have certainly heard the result of the expedition of 

 raptain Baudin since our departure from France. You must 

 have seen that, after staving forty davs at the Isle of France, 

 we proceeded to the coast of New Holland, which we ex- 

 plored from Cape liCwin to theEav of Seals. All this sandy 

 coast, nearly destitute of fresh water, is almost uninhabited. 

 The few inhabitants who reside on it are still as savage as 

 in the time of Dampierre. Being nearer to the state of na- 

 ture than any other people, they are almost as fierce, and 

 possess no art except that of sharpening sticks to defend 

 themselves from their enemies, or to procure those provi- 

 sions with which they can be supplied either by hunting or 

 fishing. 



On quitting this coast we proceeded to Timor, one of the 

 islands to the south of the Moluccas, where we found a mild 

 and lively people in a state of demi-civilization. The 

 Inhabitants of the coast have become hospitable towards 

 t^trangers bv their commerce with the Dutch ; but those who 

 reside in the interior, to whom an European visage is still 

 imknown, behave with cruelty towards tliose who venture 

 to penetrate into their country. 



From Timor we directed our course to Van Diemen's 

 Land. This island is inhabited by people of a different race 

 from those of New Holland. The latter have long hair 

 like the Asiatics, though their skin is as black as that of the 

 African negroes, while the former have woolly curled h.air 

 like the inhabitants of Congo. The difference between 

 them is showii by other characters also : the former, habi- 

 tuated to see European vessels from time to time on their 

 coasts, are less savage than the other tribes of these coun- 

 tries. 



From Van* Diemen's Land we proceeded to Port Jackson. 

 This infant colony is the (irst the inhabitants of which have 

 no cause of complaint against the Europeans. Here they 

 are treated with eveiy kind of attention, but they have alwayii 

 rejected civilization : though they have lived for fifteeti 

 years with the English they have not yet adopted any of 

 their customs. Clothes are still to them a superfluity : they 

 sometimes, though seldom, wear any thing to defend them 

 from the cold, but never to conceal their nudity. Thei^ 

 lansjuagc alone has undergone some changes. 



The 



