FL4636787

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18
there are some offensive circumstances which makes their company
by no means desirable, unless it be those who live wholly with
us. a good deal of their Language (if it may be so call'd) is now
understood, but we can learn nothing from them respecting the
interior part of the Country, it seems they are as much unacquain-
ted with it as ourselves. all their knowledge and pursuits are confined
to that of procuring for themselves a bare subsistance They chiefly
abide about the Sea coast, the Women appear to be under very
great subjection, and are employed in the most laborious part
of their work, They fish and also make the Lines and Hooks
and indeed seem very little otherways than slaves to their husbands
They weave their Lines from the Bark of a certain tree: which
we call May from the perfume the flower has which strongly
resembles the White thorn, that blows in that Month in England.
Their hooks they grind into form from a shell. they perform
this with great dexterity upon any rough stone Their Canoes are made of the bark of some of their gum trees, taken off in
a particular form for that purpose. Those they paddle about the
Caves and Bays very dextriously [dexterously]. The weapons they use are
a Spear, a wooden Sword, a stone Adze or Axe, and a fish gig
The latter is wholly used in spearing the fish in the water. The
Spears which they Aim and discharge with Wonderful ingenuity
at a great distance are some of them most dangerous Weapons
having many barbs in them and sharpened shells; but they are
still under such terror of our firearms that a single armed
Man would drive an hundred Natives with their spears
and we take care not to venture walking to any distance
unarmed, a soldier or two always attending when we make
any excursion. I have never yet met a single native in the
Woods. I told you in my last letter I thought their dialect pleasing

Notes and Questions

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AlanAtkinson

"subsistance" should be "subsistence"