James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 320

                        New Wales or East Coast of New Holland

Water. The small Brooks may then become large Rivers, but this can only happen with the Tropick. It was only in Thirsty Sound where we could find no fresh Water & that no doubt was owing to the Country being there very much intersected with the Salt Creek & Mangrove land. The low land by the Sea & even as far in land as we were is for the most part friable, loose Sandy soil yet indifferently fertile & Cloathed with woods, long grass, shrubs, Plants etc. The Mountains or Hills are Chequer'd with woods & Lawns, some of the Hills are wholy covered with Flourishing Trees others but thinly & the few that are upon them are small & the spot of Lawns & Savannahs are rocky & Barren, especially to the Northward where the Country did not afford or produce near the Vegetation that it does to the Southward, nor where the Trees in the Woods 1/2 so tall & stout. _______
               The Woods do not produce any great variety of Trees, there are only 2 or 3 sorts that can be call'd Timber. The largest is the gum Tree which grows all over the country. The wood of this Tree is too hard & ponderous for most common uses. The Tree which resembles our Pines I saw nowhere in perfection but in Botany Bay. This wood as I have before observed is something of the same Nature as American Live Oak, in short most of the large Trees in this Country are of a hard and ponderous nature & could not be applied to many purposes. Here are several sorts of the Palm kind, Mangrove & several other sorts of small Trees & Shrubs quite unknown to me, besides a very great number of Plants hitherto unknown, but these things are wholy out of my way to describe nor will this be of any loss since not only plants but every thing that can be of use to the Learned world will be very accurately described by Mr Banks & Dr Solander. The land  naturly produces hardly any thing fit for man to Eat, & the Natives know nothing of Cultivation. There are indeed growing wild in the woods a few sorts of Fruit (the most of them unknown to us) which when ripe do not eat amiss, one sort especially which we called Apples, being about the size of a Crab Apple it is black & pulpey when ripe & tastes like a Damson, it hath a large hard stone or Kernel & grows on Trees or Shrubs ______________ 
           In the Northern parts of the Country as about Endeavour River & probably in many other places the Boggy & watery Lands produce Taara or Cocos which when properly cultivated are very good roots without which they are hardly eatable, the Tops however make very good greens. ______________
         Land Animals are scar[c]e, so far as we know confin'd to a very few species, all that we saw I have before mention'd. The sort that is the greatest plenty is the Kangooroo or Kanguru, so called by the Natives, we saw a good many of them about Endeavour River but kill'd only 3 which we found 
very 
 

Land Animals are scarce, so far as we know confin'd to a very few species; all that we saw I have before mentioned. The sort which is in the greatest Plenty is the Kangooroo or Kanguru, so called by the Natives; we saw a good many of them about Endeavour River, but kill'd only 3, which we found very good Eating. Here are likewise Lizards, Snakes, Scorpions, Centapees, etc., but not in any plenty. Tame Animals they have none but Dogs, and of these we saw but one, and therefore must be very scarce, probably they eat them faster than they breed them; we should not have seen this one had he not made us frequent Visits while we lay in Endeavour River.