306 SOME ACCOUNT OF NEW HOLLAND CH. xm 



probably in no country more admirable than in this. The 

 few observations I have written down concerning them are 

 chiefly from conjecture, and therefore are not at all to be 

 depended upon. Were any man, however, to settle here 

 who had time and inclination to observe their economy, I 

 am convinced that it would far exceed that of any insects 

 we know, not excepting our much-admired bees. 



The sea, however, made some amends for the barren- 

 ness of the land. Fish, though not so plentiful as they 

 generally are in the higher latitudes, were far from scarce ; 

 when we had an opportunity of hauling the seine we 

 generally caught from 50 to 200 Ibs. of fish in a tide. The 

 kinds were various, none I think but mullets being known in 

 Europe. In general, however, they were sufficiently palat- 

 able, and some very delicate food. The sting-rays, indeed, 

 which were caught on the southern part of the coast were 

 very coarse ; so that, as little else was caught there, we 

 were obliged to be satisfied with the comforts of plenty, 

 and enjoy more pleasure in satiety than in eating. To the 

 northward again, when we were entangled within the great 

 reef, was a quantity of turtle hardly to be credited, every 

 shoal swarmed with them. The weather indeed was gener- 

 ally so boisterous, that our boats could not row after them 

 as fast as they could swim, so that we got but few ; but 

 they were excellent, and so large that a single turtle always 

 served for the whole ship. Had we been there either at 

 the time of laying or in a more moderate season, we might 

 doubtless have taken any quantity. All the shoals that 

 were dry at half ebb afforded plenty of fish, left dry in 

 small hollows of the rocks, and a profusion of large shell-fish 

 (Chama gig as) such as Dampier describes, vol. iii. p. 191. 

 The largest of these had ten or fifteen pounds of meat 

 in them; it was indeed rather strong, but I believe a 

 very wholesome food, and well relished by the people in 

 general. On different parts of the coast were also found 

 oysters, which were said to be very well tasted ; the shells 

 also of good-sized lobsters and crabs were seen, but these it 

 was never our fortune to catch. 



