140 



Hawkeseury 



SLiver. 



NEW HOLLAND. 



but equally covered with timber. Trees of great lize grow on 

 the tops of the mofl inacceffible mountains. The country was 

 populous ; and it was obferved tbat moft of the women had the 

 two joints of the little finger cut off: moft of the men wanted 

 the right front tooth ; \\\t\x feptiun narium was perforated, and 

 had a bone or ftick thruft through it. The want of language 

 kept oiu- voyagers ignorant of the caufe of thefe ftrange cuf- 

 toms. Their fkins were Angularly fcarred from the crown of 

 the head to their feet ; the fears prominent, and feemed as if 

 filled with w ind. 



In another excurfion Mr. Phillip made to this bay, he difco- 

 vered a very confiderable river, which he named the Haivkef- 

 bury\ it was from three hundred to eight hundred feet wide, 

 and navigable for the largeft merchant fliips as far as a hill named 

 Ricbmojid Hill^ about forty-five miles from its difcharge into 

 the bay : but it is not fafe for fliips to go fo high up, becaufe of 

 the heavy rains ; the water rifes thirty feet above its ufual level ; 

 the veffels therefore ought not to approach nearer than fifteen or 

 twenty miles from the foot of the hill, where they may lie fecure 

 in frefti water. Richmond Hill is called the head of the river ; 

 for there it divides into two branches, grows fliallow, and was 

 feen for fome way, till loft in the wooded rocks of the 

 country. 

 NepeanRitir. Another river was difcovered, which Mr. Phillip named the 

 Nepeaft, from three to four hundred feet broad, which alfo over- 

 flows its banks in hard rains, to the fame height as the former^ 

 into which it is fuppofed to fall. The foil on both thefe rivers 

 is excellent; the banks well wooded. Wild ducks inhabit thefe 



waters- 



