Our native did not understand a word of their language, nor did they seem
to know the use of his _womerah_ or throwing stick; for one of them being
invited to imitate Bongaree, who lanced a spear with it very dexterously
and to a great distance, he, in the most awkward manner, threw both
womerah and spear together. Nothing like a canoe was seen amongst these
people; but they must have some means of passing over the water to short
distances, since I found, in 1799, that Curlew Islet, near the head of
this bay, had been visited.

A species of _pandanus_ before found at Glass-house and Shoal Bays, grows
in abundance upon Sandy Cape; and notwithstanding the extreme sterility
of the soil, the sand hills were mostly covered with bushes, and the
vallies contained trees of the _casuarina_ and _eucalyptus_. There was
fresh water in a pool near the shore, and as a ship may lie within half a
mile, both wood and water might be procured here without great
difficulty; but I doubt if the water would not altogether fail in the dry
season.

A tolerably regular tide set past the ship, N. N. E. and S. S. W., nearly
one mile an hour; and it appeared by the shore to be high water _about
eight hours after_ the moon's passage, and the common rise to be between
six and seven feet.

No mention has been made of the variation of the compass since leaving
Port Jackson, A gradual diminution seems to take place from Twofold Bay,
near the southern extremity of this coast, to Sandy Cape; as will appear
from the following observations.


Lat. 37° 4' Azim., one compass, on shore, 9° 29' E.