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[Page 3]
Immediately round the head Land that forms the Southern Extremity of the Bay, there is a very fine Piece of Water which I named Pitt Water, the entrance has only Sixteen feet at low Water, but within Deep Water and sufficiently extensive to receive a thousand sail of Ships.
The Kangurroo is common but very Shy, the Black Swan, and a Bird not unlike the Ostrich, but which differs in some respects and some small Animals, that like the Kangurroo, have the fore feet shorter than the hind feet are frequently seen, but none have been taken alive. In an excursion inland I have traced the Natives for thirty Miles, and have seen smoke on Mountains that are fifty Miles from the Coast. How a people that have no knowledge of Agriculture, can subsist in the Interior parts of this Country is a Mystery that will be explained when the Weather is settled as I then intend reaching those Mountains if possible, but the difficulty of getting through a Country like this, can only be imagined by those who have for days waded through Swamps. and Rivers, forced their Way through Thickets, or Crossed a Country like that we have between this Harbour, and Broken Bay. Valleys that can only be descended in particular places, barren Rocks and Sands, but where there is the smallest quantity of Earth, covered with beautiful flowering Shrubs, and the Bottoms full of Timber. The Land between there is a tract of good Ground that runs between the heads of the two Harbours.
The Natives are far more Numerous than expected, I reckon from fourteen, to Sixteen hundred, in this Harbour, Broken Bay, and Botany Bay, and once fell in with Two hundred and twelve Men in one party. Most of the Men wanting the front tooth in the upper Jaw and most of the Women wanting two Joints of the little finger of the left Hand are Circumstances not Observed when Captain Cook was on this Coast. The reason for drawing the Tooth, and for thus Mutilating the finger I know not, but I have seen Children whose fingers were perfect, and a Child of five Years of Age that had lost the two Joints. I have likewise seen two