Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0393
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[Page 393]
289.
Some account of New Holland
Ends of which were stuck into the ground & the whole coverd with Palm leaves & broad peices of Bark the door was a pretty large hole at one end opposite to which by the ashes there seemd to be a fire kept pretty constantly to the Northward, again where the warmth of the climate made houses less necessary they were in proportion still more slight a house there was nothing but a hollow shelter about 3 or 4 feet deep built like the former & like them coverd with bark one side of this was intirely open which was always that which was shelterd from the course of the prevailing wind & opposite to this door was always a heap of ashes the remains of a fire probably more necessary to defend them from Mosquetos than cold in these it is probable that they only sought to defend their heads & the upper part of their bodies from the Draught of air trusting their feet to the care of the fire & so small they were that even in this manner not above 3 or 4 people could possibly croud into one of them but small as the trouble of erecting such houses must be they did not always