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Their huts were built with fmall rods, the two ends of which were fixed into theground, fo as to form the figure of an oven; they are covered with pieces of barkand palm-leaves. The door of this building, which is only high enough to fit uprightin, is oppofite to the fire-place: they deep with their heels turned up towards theirheads, and even in this pofture the hut will not hold more than four people.
They were frequently obferved with the leaves of a tree in their mouths, but whe-ther it had the qualities either of tobacco or betle could not be known; but it wasobferved not to difcolour the teeth or lips.
They produce fire, and extend the flames in a very Angular manner; they reduceone end of a flick into an obtufe point, they place this point upon a piece of dry wood,and turning the upright flick very faft backward and forward between their hands,the fire is foon produced : nor is it increafed with lefs celerity : — One of the nativeswas frequently obferved to run along the fea-coaft, leaving fire in various places.Thefe fires were fuppofed to be intended for the taking of the kanguroo, as that ani-mal was fo very fliy of fire, that when forced by the dogs, it would not crofs placeswhich had been newly burnt, even when the fire was extinguifhed.
The points of their lances are fometimes made of fifh-bones, and fometiines of ahard heavy wood; they are barbed with other pieces of wood or bone, fo that whenthey have entered any depth into the body, they cannot be drawn out without tearingthe flefh in a {hocking manner, or leaving fplinters behind them.
In the northern parts of this coaft, the canoes are formed by hollowing out the trunkof a tree; and it was conjectured, that this operation muft have been performed byfire, as the natives did not appear to have any inftrument proper for the purpofe. Thecanoes are in length about fourteen feet, and fo narrow that they would be frequentlyoverfet, but that they are provided with an outrigger. The natives row them withpaddles, ufing both hands in that employment.
That the natives of this country fometimes wage war with each other is evidentfrom their being poffeffed of weapons; yet not a Angle wound was feen on any o»their bodies.
We fhall now proceed to give an account of their paflage from New South Wales to New Guinea , with a recital of the incidents which happened on their landing on thelaft mentioned country.
Early in the morning of the 24th of Auguft 1770, the cable broke near the ringsin the attempt to weigh the anchor; on which another anchor was dropped, whichprevented the flrip driving. Determined, however, not to lofe the anchor, they reco-vered it the next morning.
Soon after the anchor was weighed, the {hip got under fail, fleering north-veeft?and in a few hours one of the boats which was a-head made the fignal for fhoal-water*The fhip inftantly brought to, with all her fails ftanding. It was now found that Im-had met with another narrow efcape, as fhe was almoft encompaffed with flioals; an rwas likewife fo fituated between them, that Ihe muft have ftruck before the boat screw had made the fignal, if fhe had been half the length of a cable on eitheffide. In the afternoon {he made fail with the ebb tide, and got out of danger beforefim-fet.
Next morning, the 28th, they purfued their voyage again, fleering due north.
The {hip now held this courfe, barely within fight of land, till the 3d of Septem-ber ; and as the water was but juft deep enough to navigate the veffel, many UI " UC *cefsful attempts were made to bring her near enough to get on ftiore : it was theretodetermined to land in one of the boats, while the fhip kept plying off and on.
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