N E W H O L L A N D. 143 



A NEIGHBORING river, in Lat. 16° 30', with a fine beach fit Endeavouh 



^ , . , , , . , . - , River, 



tor heaving down, and completing the repairs or the battered 

 fhip for the purfuit of the voyage, might have received an 

 epithet fuitable to the occafion : inftead of that we find it only 

 under the cool title of the Endeavour river. 



The natives appeared in this place; their canoes were made of 

 a tree hollowed, like thofe of Guinea, and other artlefs parts of the 

 vi^orld. Thefe were capable of holding four people. 



The Kangaroo is found here, poflibly it extends over every 

 part. The ^olla^ Hijl. ^ad. ii. N* 270, was feen here. The com- 

 mon E;z^/^ crow was obferved near this river, and a great variety 

 of other birds. On the fhores were numbers of the fine greea 

 turtles, of vaft lizes ; and the Gigantic Cbama, which I have 

 before mentioned. Our Englijh Mullet, Br. Zoo/, iii. N° 158, is 

 met with here. In the rivers and fait creeks were alligators or 

 crocodiles. 



The Termes deJlruStor makes its curious neft in the trees of T£rmes.- 

 this country. A black fpecies, which artfully v^'orks out the 

 pith of the tranches of a tree, and finds fecure fhelter in the 

 hollow, were common. Rumpbius, ii. 257, found the fame fpecies 

 in the branches of the Arbor regis in Amboina. 



Another, kind is like the white ant of the Eajl Indies \ it 

 forms two forts of retreats ; one of the fize of a man's head, 

 fufpended in clufters from the boughs of a tree, made of agglu- 

 tinated fragments of vegetables, containing innumerable cells. 

 Thefe are moft fully inhabited, and have communications with 

 each other, and the nells them (elves with all the reft which 

 are fufpended on the fame tree. Thefe again have another 



avenue 



