102 
A VOYAGE TO 
1777. had their heads completely fliorn or fhaved; in others this 
operation had been performed only on one ftde, while the 
reft of them had all the upper part of the head fhorn clofe, 
leaving a circle of hair all round, fomewhat like the tonfure 
of the Romifh Eccleftaftics Many of the children had fine 
features, and were thought pretty; but of the perfons of 
the women, efpecially thofe advanced in years, a lefs fa¬ 
vourable report was made. However, fome of the Gentle¬ 
men belonging to the Difcovery, I was told, paid their ad- 
dreffes, and made liberal offers of prefents, which were re¬ 
jected with great difdain; whether from a fenfe of virtue, 
or the fear of difpleafing their men, I fhall not pretend to 
determine. That this gallantry was not very agreeable to 
the latter, is certain: for an elderly man, as foon as he ob- 
ferved it, ordered all the women and children to retire, 
which they obeyed, though fome of them fhewed a little 
reluCtance. 
This conduCt of Europeans amongft Savages, to their wo¬ 
men, is highly blameable; as it creates a jealoufy in their 
men, that may be attended with confequences fatal to the 
fuccefs of the common enterprize, and to the whole body 
of adventurers, without advancing the private purpofe of 
* Captain Cook’s account of the natives of Van Diemen’s Land, in this Chapter, no 
doubt proves that they differ, in many refpecis , as he fays, from the inhabitants of the more 
northerly parts of the Eaft coaft of New Holland, whom he met with in his firft voyage. 
It feems very remarkable, however, that the only woman any of his people came clofe to, 
in Botany Bay, fhould have her hair cropped jhort ; while the man who was with her, is 
faid to have had the hair of his head bujhy , and his beard long and rough. Hawkefworth’s Col¬ 
lection, Vol. iii. p. 502. Could the natives of Van Diemen’s Land be more accurately 
defcribed, than by faying that the hair of the men’s heads is bvjhy, and their beards long and 
rough , and that the women’s hair is cropped Jhort ? So far North, therefore, as Botany Bay, 
the natives of the Eaft coaft of New Holland feern to refemble thofe of Van Diemen’s 
Land, in this circumftance. 
3 
the 
