THE TROPICAL ZONE. 265 



the woods, and there appear to be no fruit-trees of any 

 kind. 



Neither herbs, roots, pulse, or grain of any sort are to be 

 seen, so that the inhabitants depend for their subsistence on 

 fishing. These poor Australian brothers of ours seem to be 

 some of the most depressed of the human family ; they have 

 nothing in the shape of comfort or convenience, and are 

 without either house or clothing. They are particularly 

 ungainly, too, in their appearance ; for though they are tall 

 and straight built, the smallness of their limbs is out of 

 harmony with their large heads, and their coal-black faces 

 and half-closed eyelids have anything but a pleasing aspect. 



