Captain Cook’s account of this bay agrees nearly with that of Furneaux; but he there procured abundance of fish, and had frequent communication with the natives:  his description of them coincides, generally, with what has been recited in Marion’s voyage.  The most striking differences betwixt these people and those captain Cook had seen on the east coast of New South Wales, were in their language, in having no canoes, and in the different texture of the hair:  in those it was “naturally long and black, though it be universally cropped short;” whilst in Adventure Bay, “it was as woolly, as that of any native of Guinea.” * In these particulars, as in some others, they agreed with Dampier’s description of the people on the North-west Coast, who were without canoes, and had woolly hair.

[* See Cook’s Third Voyage, Vol.  I. p. 93-117.]

The following articles, to the conclusion of PART I. of this Section, are placed somewhat out of their chronological order, for the convenience of classing together all the discoveries which had no connection with the British settlement in New South Wales.  Those made in vessels from that settlement, or which may be considered as a consequence of its establishment, will compose PART II. in uninterrupted order.

BLIGH. 1788.

Captain William Bligh put into Adventure Bay with his Majesty’s ship Bounty in 1788, and with the Providence and Assistant in 1792; for the purpose of obtaining wood and water.  These were procured with facility, as also plenty of fish; and many useful seeds and trees were planted.

No discoveries being made here, beyond those of Furneaux and Cook, the reader is referred to captain Bligh’s Voyage to the South Seas, P. 45 to 54, for his observations on the country and inhabitants.  There is, however, one remarkable circumstance recorded of these people, which is, that when presents wrapped up in paper were thrown to them, “they took the articles out, and placed them on their heads;” a ceremony which is similar to that recorded by Witsen, of the inhabitants on the east side of the Gulph of Carpentaria.

COX. 1789.

The brig Mercury, commanded by JOHN HENRY COX, Esq., anchored at the entrance of a deep bay on the south side of Van Diemen’s Land, on July 3, 1789.  This bay was then first discovered, and lies N. by W. ten miles from the Mewstone.* The country was found to be agreeably interspersed with hills and vallies, and some of the hills were luxuriantly clothed with trees to their very summits.  About four miles from the vessel, there was a stream of fresh water; and close to it stood a hut, or rather hovel, neatly constructed of branches of trees and dried leaves.  “Around it were scattered a great quantity of pearl, escalop, oyster, and other shells, which had been lately roasted.”  The faeces of some large animal were met with in every direction; but neither the animal itself nor any of the natives could be found.