274 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



two or two and a half fathoms in thickness, measuring 

 from sixty to sixty-five feet from the ground to the lower- 

 most branches, which trees bore notches made with flint 

 implements, the bark having been removed for the purpose. 

 These notches, forming a kind of steps to enable persons 

 to get up trees and rob the birds' nests in their tops, were 



Giants ! fully five feet apart, so that our men concluded that the 

 natives must be of very tall stature, and must be in posses- 

 sion of some sort of artifice for getting up the said trees. 

 On the ground they had observed certain footprints of 

 animals, not unlike those of a tiger's claws. They brought 

 on board a small quantity of gum of a seemingly very 

 fine quality, which exuded from trees and bore some re- 

 semblance to gum-lac. The land is generally covered 

 with trees, standing so far apart that they allow a passage 

 everywhere, and a look-out to a great distance, so that, 

 when landing, our man could always get sight of natives 

 and wild beasts, unhindered by dense shrubbery and 

 underwood, which would prove a great advantage in 

 exploring the country." 



Possession Next day (3rd December), the two boats put off again 

 e "- for the shore to take formal possession. " We carried 

 with us a pole with the Company's mark carved into it, 

 and a Prince-flag to be set up there, that those who come 

 after us may become aware that we have been here, and 

 have taken possession of the said land as our lawful pro- 

 perty." A stiff wind and a high sea compelled one boat to 

 pull back, and prevented the other from landing. " We 

 then ordered the carpenter to swim to the shore alone, 

 with the pole and flag. We made him plant the said 

 pole about the centre of the Bay " Prince of Wales's 

 Bay, says Mr. Walker 1 " near four tall trees, easily recog- 

 nisable, and standing in the form of a crescent exactly 

 before the one standing lowest," which is a tree crowned 

 by two long dry branches, which " look like the large 

 antlers of a stag," while one of its lower branches looks 

 like " the upper part of a larding pin." Then " we pulled 

 back to the ships, leaving the above-mentioned as a 

 1 Walker, p. 134. 



