310 SOME ACCOUNT OF NEW HOLLAND CH. xm 



spritsail-yard was rigged across, it completely stopped up both 

 nostrils, so that they spoke in the nose in a manner one 

 would think scarcely intelligible. Besides these extraordinary 

 bones, they had necklaces of shells neatly cut and strung 

 together ; bracelets also, if one may call by that name four or 

 five rings of small cord worn round the upper part of the 

 arm ; and a belt or string tied round the waist about as thick 

 as worsted yarn, which last was frequently made of either 

 human hair or that of the beast called by them kangooroo. 



They paint themselves with red and white. The 

 former they commonly lay on in broad patches on their 

 shoulders or breasts ; the white in strips, some of which are 

 narrow and confined to small parts of their bodies, others 

 broad and carried with some degree of taste across 

 their bodies, round their legs and arms, etc. They also lay 

 it on in circles round their eyes, and in patches in different 

 parts of their faces. The red seems to be red ochre, but 

 what the white was we could not find out, it was heavy 

 and close-grained, almost as white lead, and had a sapon- 

 aceous feel ; possibly it might be a kind of steatite. We 

 lamented not being able to procure a bit to examine. 



These people seemed to have no idea of traffic, nor could 

 we teach them ; indeed, it seemed that we had no one thing 

 upon which they set a value sufficient to induce them to part 

 with the smallest trifle, except one fish which weighed about 

 half a pound. That they brought as a kind of peace token. 

 No one in the ship procured, I believe, from them the 

 smallest article ; they readily received the things we gave 

 them, but never would understand our signs, when we 

 asked for returns. This, however, must not be forgotten, 

 that whatever opportunities they had they never once 

 attempted to take anything in a clandestine manner ; what- 

 ever they wanted they openly asked for, and in almost all 

 cases bore the refusal, if they met with one, with much 

 indifference, except in the case of turtles. 



Dirty as these people are, they seem to be entirely free 

 from lice, a circumstance rarely observed among the most 

 cleanly Indians, and which is here the more remarkable, as 



