We Never Found More Than Three Or Four Huts In
A Place, Capable Of Containing Three Or Four Persons Each
Only; and what is
remarkable, we never saw the least marks either of canoe or boat, and it is
generally
Thought they have none; being altogether, from what we could
judge, a very ignorant and wretched set of people, though natives of a
country capable of producing every necessary of life, and a climate the
finest in the world. We found not the least signs of any minerals or
metals.
Having completed our wood and water, we sailed from Adventure Bay,
intending to coast it up along shore, till we should fall in with the land
seen by Captain Cook, and discover whether Van Diemen's Land joins with New
Holland. On the 16th, we passed Maria's Islands, so named by Tassman; they
appear to be the same as the main land. On the 17th, having passed
Shouten's Islands, we hauled in for the main land, and stood along shore at
the distance of two or three leagues off. The country here appears to be
very thickly inhabited, as there was a continual fire along shore as we
sailed. The land hereabouts is much pleasanter, low, and even; but no signs
of a harbour or bay, where a ship might anchor with safety. The weather
being bad, and blowing hard at S.S.E., we could not send a boat on shore to
have any intercourse with the inhabitants. In the latitude of 40 deg.
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