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New Holland (continued)
ball. These throwing sticks we at first took for wooden swords, and perhaps on some occasions they may use them as such, that is when all their darts are expended, be this as it may they never travel without ^both them and their darts, not ^altogether for fear of enimies but for killing of Game &Ca as I shall shew hereafter. Their defensive weapons are Shields made of wood but these we never saw use'd but once in Sting Ray Botany Bay. I do not look upon them to be a warlike People, on the Contrary I think theym am timorous and inoffensive race, no ways inclinable to cruelty, as appear'd from their behavour to one of our people in Endeavour River which I have before mentioned. Neither are they very numerous, they live in small parties along by the Sea Coast, the banks of Lakes, Rivers creeks &Ca. They seem to have no fix'd habitation but move about from place to place like wild Beasts in search of food, and I beleive depend wholy upon the success of the present day for their subsistance. They have wooden fish gigs with 2, 3 or 4 prongs each very ingeniously made with which they strike fish; we have also seen them strike both fish and birds with their darts. With these they likewise kill other Animals; they have also wooden Harpoons for striking Turtle, but of these I
© Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 296, 2004
Published by South Seas
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook_remarks-086
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