88 DESCRIPTION OF THE NATIVES. 



torical artifice, would convey sufficient internal evi- 

 dence of his truth, had not the subsequent progress 

 of Australian discovery served to confirm all the 

 material facts of his narrative. I may, however, 

 remark, that the natives seen upon this coast during 

 our cruise, within the limits of Roebuck Bay to 

 the south, and Port George the Fourth to the 

 north, an extent of more than 200 miles, with 

 the exception that I shall presently notice, agreed 

 in having a common character of form, feature, 

 hair, and physiognomy, which I may thus describe. 

 The average height of the males may be taken to 

 be from five feet five inches to five feet nine inches, 

 though, upon one occasion, I saw one who exceeded 

 this height by an inch. They are almost black, — 

 in fact, for ordinary description, that word, unqua- 

 lified by the adverb, serves the purpose best. Their 

 limbs are spare and light, but the muscle is finely 

 developed in the superior joint of the arm, which is 

 probably owing to their constant use of it in throw- 

 ing the spear. Some tribes are entirely naked, 

 while others wear girdles of skin and leaves, 

 hardly sufficient, however, to serve any purpose of 

 decency, much less of comfort. Their hair is always 

 darl^ sometimes straight and sometimes curled, 

 and not unfrequently tied up behind ; but we saw 

 no instance of a negro, or woolly, head among them. 

 They wear the beard upon the chin, but not upon 

 the upper lip, and allow it to grow to such a length 

 as enables them to champ and chew it when excited 



