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NEW HOLLANDERS. 
Inhabitants of New Holland. 
The natives of this vast region are by all accounts reckoned the 
most miserable race of mortals, perhaps, on the face of the earth. They 
go entirely naked ; and though pleased at first with some ornaments 
which were given them, they soon threw them away as useless. It 
does not appear, however, that they are insensible of the benefits of 
clothing, or of some of the conveniences which their new neighbours 
possess. Some of them, whom the colonists partly clothed, seemed 
to be pleased with the comfortable warmth they derived from it ; 
and they all expressed a great desire for the iron tools which they 
saw their neighbours make use of. Their colour, in the opinion of 
Captain Cook, is rather a deep chocolate than a full black; but the 
filth w'ith which their skins are covered, prevents their true colour 
from appearing. At some of their interviews with the colonists, 
several droll instances happened of their mistaking the negroes 
among the colonists for their own countrymen. 
Notwithstanding their disregard for European finery, they are 
fond of adorning, or rather deforming, their bodies with scars ; so 
that some of them cut the most hideous figures that can be imagined. 
The scars themselves have an uncommon appearance; sometimes 
the flesh is raised considerably above the skin, and they appear as if 
filled with wind ; and all these seem to be reckoned marks of honour. 
Some of them perforate the cartilage of the nose, and thrust a large 
bone through it. This hideous kind of ornament was humorously 
called by the sailors their sprit sail-yard. Their hair is generally so 
clotted with red gum, that their heads resemble a mop. They also 
paint their bodies of various colours, and sometimes ornament them- 
selves with beads and shells, but make no use of the beautiful 
feathers of their native birds. 
Most of the men want one of the fore-teeth in the upper jaw ; a 
circumstance mentioned by Dampier and other navigators ; and this 
also appears to be a badge of manhood and of honour among them. 
It is very common among the women to cut off the two lower joints 
of the little finger; which, considering the clumsiness of the ampu- 
tating instruments they possess, must certainly be a very painful 
operation. This was at first supposed to be peculiar to the married 
women, or those who had born children ; but some of the oldest 
women were without this distinction, while it was observed in others 
who were very young. 
The New Hollanders appear extremely deficient in the useful arts. 
Of the cultivation of the ground they had no notion ; nor could they 
at first be prevailed upon to eat bread or dressed meat. Hence they 
depended entirely for subsistence on the fruits and roots they could 
gather, and the fish they could catch. Governor Phillip also men- 
tions their frequently setting fire to the grass, in order to drive out 
the opossums and other animals from their retreats ; and they also used 
decoys for quails. As all these resources, however must be at best 
precarious, it is no wonder that they were frequently distressed for 
provisions. Thus, in summer, they would eat neither the shark nor 
