Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/259

 �cosrs o AUSTRAS. under sail, but delayed by light winds we were, at noon, within halfa league of the island, 2. As there was no immediate appearanoe of st braere, I landed on a steep beach, at the N.W. end of the island, whence the latitude was observed to b 18 � 15", and from which I obtained an useful set of bearings. Near our landing-place were some natives' huts and two canoes; the former appeared to have been recently occupied, and were very snug habitations. They were of a cirodar shape, and very ingeniously constructed by twigs stuck in the ground and arched over, the ends being artfidly entwined so as to give support to each other; the whole was covered with a thatch of dried grass and reeds;they were not larger than two people could eonve. niently occupy. In one of the huts, which was of a more elliptical shape and of larger dimensions than the other, was a bunch of hair that had been recently clipped from either the head or beard. This proves that these operations are not done solely' by fire, as Captain Cook supposed , but by means of a sharp-edged shell, which must be both tedious and painful to endure; and we have often witnessed the delight shewn by the atives at the speedy effect a pair of scissors has produced. -. Digitized , Goog[e
 * HLWKZSWOBTH, vol. 'di. p. fO.

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