CASTEAUX. 
1793. 
East Coast, $ V. D.'s Land.-] INTRODUCTION. xciii 
Riviere du Nord might penetrate into the country, was uncertain. D'Entee- 
The eastern opening led northward into a wide, open bay ; and this 
into another large expanse of water to the eastward, but which was 
not examined. It was thought, however, that this eastern bay com- 
municated with that of Frederik Hendrik ; and on this supposition 
( which has not proved correct ) , the land which Furneaux and Cook 
had erroneously thought to be Maria's Island, was named He d'Abel 
Tasman. 
The charts of the bays, ports, and arms of the sea at the south- 
east end of Van Diemen's Land, constructed in this expedition by 
Mons. Beautemps-Beaupre and assistants, appear to combine scien- 
tific accuracy and minuteness of detail, with an uncommon degree 
of neatness in the execution : they contain some of the finest speci- 
mens of marine surveying, perhaps ever made in a new country. 
Admiral D'Entrecasteaux gives a very favourable account of the 
disposition of the native inhabitants on the shores of the channel ; 
and he had frequent communications with them. In person and 
manner of living, they agree with those described by Marion and 
Cook ; but the vocabulary of their language is somewhat different ; 
and bark canoes, which preceding navigators had thought them not 
to possess, were found in the channel. The description of the 
country is, generally, favourable; though somewhat less so than 
that of captain Cook at Adventure Bay. The climate was thought 
good, though moist ; and the supplies of wood, water, and fish, for 
ships, were abundant; but the preference, in these respects, was 
given to Adventure Bay, even by the French admiral. 
Mons. Labillardiere, in his previously published account of D'En- 
trecasteaux's voyage, says, that he found a small vein of coal near 
the South Cape ; and that lime-stone rocks exist on the west-side of 
Adventure Bay. These circumstances are omitted by M. de Rossel ; 
as is also the remark, that although the natives had their teeth 
perfect, in general, yet in some near the bay, one, and sometimes 
two of the upper front teeth were wanting. The same thing was 
