Pellew's Group.] 
terra australis. 
173 
less than thirty-six partitions, over which was laid a rude piece of 
frame work ; and the neighbouring mangroves, to the extent of an 
acre and a half, had been cut down. It was evident that these 
people were Asiatics, but of what particular nation, or what their 
business here, could not be ascertained; I suspected them, however, 
to be Chinese, and that the nutmegs might possibly be their object. 
From the traces amongst Wellesley’s Islands, they had been con- 
jectured to be shipwrecked people; but that opinion did not now 
appear to be correct. 
The barometer stood here from 29,96 to 29,62 inches, being 
highest with the winds at north-cast, and lowest with those from the 
southward ; in the heavy squalls of wind, rain, thunder, and light- 
ning from the north-west, the mercury stood at a medium elevation. 
On board the ship, the average standard of the thermometer was 
nearly 85°. On shore it was hotter, yet the musketoes were not 
very troublesome ; but the common black flies, from their extraor- 
dinary numbers and their impudence, were scarcely less annoying 
than musketoes ; they get into the mouth and nose, and settle upon the 
face or any other part of the body, with as much unconcern as they 
would alight on a gum tree ; nor are they driven away easily. This 
was the case on shore, and on board the ship whilst lying at anchor, 
and for a day or two afterwards ; but the society of man wrought a 
change in the manners even of these little animals. They soon be- 
came more cautious, went off when a hand was lifted up, and in 
three or four days after quitting the land, behaved themselves 
orderly, like other flies ; and though still numerous on board, they 
gave little molestation. Dampier found these insects equally trouble- 
some on the North-west Coast; for he says (Vol. I. p. 464), speak- 
ing of the natives, “ Their eye-lids are always half closed, to keep 
the flies out of their eyes ; they being so troublesome here, that no 
fanning will keep them from coming to one’s face ; and without the 
assistance of both hands to keep them oft, they will creep into one $ 
nostrils, and mouth too, if the lips are not shut very close. 
1802. 
December, 
