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very little trouble and expence small Vessels might be built in the River proper for the Navigating thereof. It is too much for me to assert how little water a Vessel ought to draw to navigate this River even so far up as I was in the boat this depends intirely upon the depth of water that is upon the bar or flats that lays before the narrow part of the river which I had not an oppertunity of making myself acquainted with but I am of opinion that a Vessel that draws not above 10 or 12 feet water may do it with ease. So far as I have been able to judge of the genius of these people it doth not appear ^to me to be attall difficult
The Natives of this Country are a strong raw boned well made ^Active people rather above than under the common size especialy the men, they are all of a very dark brown Colour with black hair, thin black beards and white teeth and such as do not disfigure their faces by tattowing &Ca have in general very good features. the men generaly wear their hair ^long coomb'd up and tied upon the crown of their heads, some of the women wear it long and loose upon their Shoulders, old women especialy, others again wear it crop'd short; their coombs are some made of bone and others of wood they sometimes wear them as an ornament stuck upright in thier hair. They seem to injoy a good state of hilth and many of them live to a good old age. Many of the old and some of the middle aged men have thier
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 209, 2004
Published by South Seas
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook_remarks-054