e an object of adoration;
neither the sun, moon, nor stars seem to take up, or occupy more
of their attention, than they do that of any other of the animals
which inhabit this immense country.

Their dead they certainly burn, of which I have been well
convinced lately, when employed on the survey of a distant branch
of Port Jackson. Some of my boat's crew having, when on shore,
discovered a little from the water-side, upon a rising ground,
what they judged to be a fresh grave, I went up and ordered it to
be opened; when the earth was removed, we found a quantity of
white ashes, which appeared to have been but a very short time
deposited there: among the ashes we found part of a human
jaw-bone, and a small piece of the scull, which, although it had
been in the fire, was not so much injured, as to prevent our
distinguishing perfectly what it was. We put the ashes together
again and covered it up as before; the grave was not six inches
under the surface of the ground, but the earth was raised the
height of our graves in Europe.

In the months of March and April, we found the natives to
decrease in their numbers considerably; but we have no reason to
suppose that they retire back into the interior parts of the
country; for in all the excursions which have been made inland,
very few have been seen. The sea-coast, we have every reason at
present to believe, is the only part of this country which is
inhabited by the human race; the land seems to afford them but a
very scanty subsistence. We have seen them roast and chew the
fern-root. There is a small fruit here, about the size of a
cherry; it is yellow when half grown, and almost black when ripe;
it grows on a tree, which is not tall, but very full and bushy at
the top; of this fruit we have often seen them eat: it has a good
deal the taste of a fig, and the pulp, or inside, very much
resembles that fruit in appearance: but the sea is their
principal resource, and shell, and other fish, are their chief
support.

They frequently attended our boats when hauling the seine, and
were very thankful to the officer for any fish he might give
them, as in cold weather the harbour is but thinly stocked;
indeed, when we arrived here it was full of fish, and we caught
as many as we could use, but in the winter they seem to quit our
neighbourhood. I had reason to think, that the people who
inhabited Port Jackson when we first entered it were gone farther
to the northward, and that i