sider that we see this country in the pure state of nature; the Industry of Man has had nothing to do with any part of it, and yet we find all such things as nature hath bestow'd upon it in a flourishing state. In this Extensive Country it can never be doubted but what most sorts of Grain, Fruit, roots, etc. of every kind would flourish here were they once brought hither, planted and Cultivated by the hands of Industry; and here are Provender for more Cattle, at all seasons of the Year, than ever can be brought into the Country.[1] When one considers the Proximity of this Country with New Guinea, New Britain, and several other Islands which produce Cocoa Nutts and many other fruits proper for the support of man, it seems strange that they should not long ago be Transplanted here; by its not being done it should seem that the Natives of this Country have no commerce with their Neighbours, the New Guineans.[2] It is very probable that they are a different people, and speak a different Language. For the advantage of such as want to Clear up this point I shall add a small Vocabulary of a few Words in the New Holland Language which we learnt when in Endeavour River.[3]
English. | New Holland. | |
The Head | Whageegee | |
The„ Hair of the head | Morye or Moré | |
The„ Eyes | Meul | |
The„ Ears | Melea | |
The„ Lips | Yembe or Jembi | |
The„ Teeth | Mulere or Moile | |
The„ Chinn | Jæal | |
The„ Beard | Waller | |
The„ Tongue | Unjar | |
The„ Nose | Bonjoo | |
The„ Naval | Toolpoor or Julpur | |
The„ Penis | Keveil or Kerrial | |
The„ Scrotum | Coonal or Kunnol | |
The„ Arms | Aw or Awl | |
The„ Hand | Marigal | |
The„ Thumb | Eboorbalga | |
The„ Fore, Middle and Ring fingers | Egalbaiga | |
Little Finger | Nakil or Eboonakil | |
The Thighs | Coman | |
The„ Knees | Ponga | |
The„ Legs | Peegoorgo |
- ↑ It says a good deal for Cook's penetration that he wrote like this, for the coast of Australia is not promising, especially in the dry season; and coming as he did from the more apparently fertile countries of Tahiti and New Zealand, Australia must have appeared but a barren land.
- ↑ The climate is too dry for the cocoanut palm.
- ↑ The languages of the different tribes differ very much. This results from the continual state of war in which they live, as they have no communication the one with the other.