VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY OF SOUTHERN LANDS.

947

much of the population : property now will excite emulation, and the neceffity of pre-ferving this property from individual depredation, induce the union of the force of themafs, and the formation of laws or general conventions. In this {late, not fuperior tothat of the Kamtfchadales or the Samoyeds, however diftant from a perfectly civilizedcondition, yet, what a beneficial change would be effected! and how much would theirrefources be encreafed.

Here fancy fondly pictures the domefticated kanguroo fwarming around the cabinsof the improved natives ; the caffowary, even more readily tamed, prefenting themdaily food, and its large and excellent eggs; the black fwan, multiplying its broodson the neighbouring waters; and the beautiful lyre-tailed pheafant, with the fuperbminura of the Blue Montains, repaying, with their numerous progeny and their eggs,the^attention and care of their mailers.

Leifure, a communication of ideas, co-operation of efforts, effects which can onlyexift where men are collected in a body, by degrees will engender improvement inthe arts of life, and furnilh them with more numerous and perfect inftruments forfilhing. With much diminilhed toil will they obtain from the Ihores of the fea a moreabundant produce, and foon will learn to preferve their filh by drying, or the ufe offait, thus providing againft thofe feafons when llorms or winter’s Iway deprive themof daily fupply. Their boats too, now of better conltru£tion, will allow them tolengthen their excurfions from Ihore ; the neighbouring illands will ceafe to be unex-plored by them; and the numerous feals and fphenici, with which they abound, willfurnilh them with a prey as eafy of capture as inexhaultible ; the oil from them willgive a new flavor to their food, and their fpoils afford warmer clothing to Ihelter themfrom cold; by degrees, the beautiful goofe of Bafs’s Strait will be added to theirpoultry yards, and ^he wombat or phalcolome, that Angular animal fo offenfive to theeye, yet fuch tender and delicate food, and which we ourfelves noticed, as familiar asthe dog in the cabins of the Englilh filhermen, the wombat will become domefticatedamong them; and the grey kanguroo, the flefn of which is fo far preferable to thatof the larger fpecies, will be another boon of thefe illands, an addition to the refoiircesof the people.

There is certainly nothing exaggerated in this picture, yet what a contrail does itnot prefent to the prefent condition of thefe favages ! They become fecure of fub-fiftence, and ceafe to be dependent on the feafons, or the Ihoaling and migration of thefinny race; their aliment too, as well as more abundant at all times, is of fuperiorquality. No longer fubjeft to diftreffing privations, to thofe exceffive fatigues, andperpetual and exhaufting chaces, which confume his vigour, and impair his form, theprefent favage will, in his changed condition, become of a conftitution more robuft ;his ftrength will at the fame time be encreafed : and if the defect of his conformationbe, indeed, as every thing feems to indicate, the confequence of his prefent wretched-nefs, and bad and fcanty fare, may we not reafonably forebode that this frightfulemaciation will gradually difappear ?

Not only will this happy change be beneficially experienced by each individual, itseffe£t will be to encreafe the population. No more, as now is the cafe on thefe drearyIhores, will the woman be obliged, from dread of incapacity to fupport her offspring, toufe the moll cruel means of procuring abortion * ; no more will fathers, unnatural from

* When in New Holland a woman has two children at a birth, whether males or females, the weakeftand lea ft heavy is immediately ftrangled by the mother ; if of the two one fhould be a male, and the othera female, the latter is put to death. (Obfervations communicated by M. Lefchenault, and attefted byiame of the molt refpefitable inhabitants of Port Jackfon.)

6 s 2 neceffity.