a complete account of the settlement-第34节

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endure　the　burning　state　of　the　atmosphere。　　Nor　did　the　'perroquettes'；　though　tropical　birds；　bear　it　better。　　The　ground　was　strewn　with　them　in　the　same　condition　as　the　bats。

Were　I　asked　the　cause　of　this　intolerable　heat；　I　should　not　hesitate　to　pronounce　that　it　was　occasioned　by　the　wind　blowing　over　immense　deserts；　which；　I　doubt　not；　exist　in　a　north…west　direction　from　Port　Jackson；　and　not　from　fires　kindled　by　the　natives。　　This　remark　I　feel　necessary；　as　there　were　methods　used　by　some　persons　in　the　colony；　both　for　estimating　the　degree　of　heat　and　for　ascertaining　the　cause　of　its　production；　which　I　deem　equally　unfair　and　unphilosophical。　　The　thermometer；　whence　my　observations　were　constantly　made；　was　hung　in　the　open　air　in　a　southern　aspect；　never　reached　by　the　rays　of　the　sun；　at　the　distance　of　several　feet　above　the　ground。

My　other　remarks　on　the　climate　will　be　short。　　It　is　changeable　beyond　any　other　I　ever　heard　of；　but　no　phenomena　sufficiently　accurate　to　reckon　upon；　are　found　to　indicate　the　approach　of　alteration。　Indeed；　for　the　first　eighteen　months　that　we　lived　in　the　country；　changes　were　supposed　to　take　place　more　commonly　at　the　quartering　of　the　moon　than　at　other　times。　　But　lunar　empire　afterwards　lost　its　credit。　For　the　last　two　years　and　a　half　of　our　residing　at　Port　Jackson；　its　influence　was　unperceived。　　Three　days　together　seldom　passed　without　a　necessity　occurring　for　lighting　a　fire　in　an　evening。　A　'habit　d'ete'；　or　a　'habit　de　demi　saison'；　would　be　in　the　highest　degree　absurd。　　Clouds；　storms　and　sunshine　pass　in　rapid　succession。　　Of　rain；　we　found　in　general　not　a　sufficiency；　but　torrents　of　water　sometimes　fall。　Thunder　storms；　in　summer；　are　common　and　very　tremendous；　but　they　have　ceased　to　alarm；　from　rarely　causing　mischief。　　Sometimes　they　happen　in　winter。　　I　have　often　seen　large　hailstones　fall。　Frequent　strong　breezes　from　the　westward　purge　the　air。　　These　are　almost　invariably　attended　with　a　hard　clear　sky。　　The　easterly　winds；　by　setting　in　from　the　sea；　bring　thick　weather　and　rain；　except　in　summer；　when　they　become　regular　sea…breezes。　　The　'aurora　australis'　is　sometimes　seen；　but　is　not　distinguished　by　superior　brilliancy。

To　sum　up：　　notwithstanding　the　inconveniences　which　I　have　enumerated；　I　will　venture　to　assert　in　few　words；　that　no　climate　hitherto　known　is　more　generally　salubrious*；　or　affords　more　days　on　which　those　pleasures　which　depend　on　the　state　of　the　atmosphere　can　be　enjoyed；　than　that　of　New　South　Wales。　　The　winter　season　is　particularly　delightful。

＇*To　this　cause；　I　ascribe　the　great　number　of　births　which　happened；　considering　the　age　and　other　circumstances；　of　many　of　the　mothers。　Women　who　certainly　would　never　have　bred　in　any　other　climate　here　produced　as　fine　children　as　ever　were　born。＇

The　leading　animal　production　is　well　known　to　be　the　kangaroo。　The　natural　history　of　this　animal　will；　probably；　be　written　from　observations　made　upon　it　in　England；　as　several　living　ones　of　both　sexes；　have　been　brought　home。　　Until　such　an　account　shall　appear；　probably　the　following　desultory　observation　may　prove　acceptable。

The　genus　in　which　the　kangaroo　is　to　be　classed　I　leave　to　better　naturalists　than　myself　to　determine。　　How　it　copulates；　those　who　pretend　to　have　seen　disagree　in　their　accounts：　　nor　do　we　know　how　long　the　period　of　gestation　lasts。　　Prolific　it　cannot　be　termed；　bringing　forth　only　one　at　a　birth；　which　the　dam　carries　in　her　pouch　wherever　she　goes　until　the　young　one　be　enabled　to　provide　for　itself；　and　even　then；　in　the　moment　of　alarm；　she　will　stop　to　receive　and　protect　it。　We　have　killed　she…kangaroos　whose　pouches　contained　young　ones　completely　covered　with　fur　and　of　more　than　fifteen　pounds　weight；　which　had　ceased　to　suck　and　afterwards　were　reared　by　us。　　In　what　space　of　time　it　reaches　such　a　growth　as　to　be　abandoned　entirely　by　the　mother；　we　are　ignorant。　　It　is　born　blind；　totally　bald；　the　orifice　of　the　ear　closed　and　only　just　the　centre　of　the　mouth　open；　but　a　black　score；　denoting　what　is　hereafter　to　form　the　dimension　of　the　mouth；　is　marked　very　distinctly　on　each　side　of　the　opening。　　At　its　birth；　the　kangaroo　（notwithstanding　it　weighs　when　full　grown　200　pounds）　is　not　so　large　as　a　half…grown　mouse。　　I　brought　some　with　me　to　England　even　less；　which　I　took　from　the　pouches　of　the　old　ones。　This　phenomenon　is　so　striking　and　so　contrary　to　the　general　laws　of　nature；　that　an　opinion　has　been　started　that　the　animal　is　brought　forth　not　by　the　pudenda；　but　descends　from　the　belly　into　the　pouch　by　one　of　the　teats；　which　are　there　deposited。　　On　this　difficulty　as　I　can　throw　no　light；　I　shall　hazard　no　conjecture。　　It　may；　however；　be　necessary　to　observe　that　the　teats　are　several　inches　long　and　capable　of　great　dilatation。　　And　here　I　beg　leave　to　correct　an　error　which　crept　into　my　former　publication　wherein　I　asserted　that；　〃the　teats　of　the　kangaroo　never　exceed　two　in　number。〃　　They　sometimes；　though　rarely；　amount　to　four。　　There　is　great　reason　to　believe　that　they　are　slow　of　growth　and　live　many　years。　　This　animal　has　a　clavicle；　or　collar…bone；　similar　to　that　of　the　human　body。　　The　general　colour　of　the　kangaroo　is　very　like　that　of　the　ass；　but　varieties　exist。　Its　shape　and　figure　are　well　known　by　the　plates　which　have　been　given　of　it。　The　elegance　of　the　ear　is　particularly　deserving　of　admiration。　This　far　exceeds　the　ear　of　the　hare　in　quickness　of　sense　and　is　so　flexible　as　to　admit　of　being　turned　by　the　animal　nearly　quite　round　the　head；　doubtless　for　the　purpose　of　informing　the　creature　of　the　approach　of　its　enemies；　as　it　is　of　a　timid　nature；　and　poorly　furnished　with　means　of　defence；　though　when　compelled　to　resist；　it　tears　furiously　with　its　forepaws；　and　strikes　forward　very　hard　with　its　hind　legs。　Notwithstanding　its　unfavourable　conformation　for　such　a　purpose；　its　swims　strongly；　but　never　takes　to　the　water　unless　so　hard　pressed　by　its　pursuers　as　to　be　left　without　all　other　refuge。　　The　noise　they　make　is　a　faint　bleat；　querulous；　but　not　easy　to　describe。　They　are　sociable　animals　and　unite　in　droves；　sometimes　to　the　number　of　fifty　or　sixty　together；　when　they　are　seen　playful　and　feeding　on　grass；　which　alone　forms　their　food。　　At　such　time　they　move　gently　about　like　all　other　quadrupeds；　on　all　fours；　but　at　the　slightest　noise　they　spring　up　on　their　hind　legs　and　sit　erect；　listening　to　what　it　may　proceed　from；　and　if　it　increases　they　bound　off　on　those　legs　only；　the　fore　ones　at　the　same　time　being　carried　close　to　the　breast　like　the　paws　of　a　monkey；　and　the　tail　stretched　out；　acts　as　a　rudder　on　a　ship。　　In　drinking；　the　kangaroo　laps。　　It　is　remarkable　that　they　are　never　found　in　a　fat　state；　being　invariably　lean。　Of　the　flesh　we　always　eat　with　avidity；　but　in　Europe　it　would　not　be　reckoned　a　delicacy。　　A　rank　flavour　forms　the　principal　objection　to　it。　The　tail　is　accounted　the　most　delicious　part；　when　stewed。

Hitherto　I　have　spoken　only　of　the　large；　or　grey　kangaroo；　to　which　the　natives　give　the　name　of　'patagaran'。*　　But　there　are　（besides　the　kangaroo…rat）　two　other　sorts。　　One　of　them　we　called　the　red　kangaroo；　from　the　colour　of　its　fur；　which　is　like　that　of　a　hare；　and　sometimes　is　mingled　with　a　large　portion　of　black：　　the　natives　call　it　'bagaray'。　　It　rarely　attains　to　more　than　forty　pounds　weight。　The　third　sort　is　very　rare；　and　in　the　formation　of　its　head　resembles　the　opossum。　　The　kangaroo…rat　is　a　small　animal；　never　reaching；　at　its　utmost　growth；　more　than　fourteen　or　fifteen　pounds；　and　its　usual　size　is　not　above　seven　or　eight　pounds。　　It　joins　to　the　head　and　bristles　of　a　rat　the　leading　distinctions　of　a　kangaroo；　by　running　when　pursued　on　its　hind　legs　only；　and　the　female　having　a　pouch。　Unlike　the　kangaroo；　who　appears　to　have　no　fixed　place　of　residence；　this　little　animal　constructs　for　itself　a　nest　of　grass；　on　the　ground；　of　a　circular　figure；　about　ten　inches　in　diameter；　with　a　hole　on　one　side　for　the　creature　to　enter　at；　the　inside　being　lined　with　a　finer　sort　of　grass；　very　soft　and　downy。　　But　its　manner　of　carrying　the　materials　with　which　it　builds　the　nest　is　the　greatest　curiosity：　　by　entwining　its　tail　（which；　like　that　of　all　the　kangaroo　tribe；　is　long；　flexible　and　muscular）　around　whatever　it　wants　to　remove；　and　thus　dragging　along　the　load　behind　it。　　This　animal　is　good　to　eat；　but　whether　it　be　more　prolific　at　a　birth　than　the　kangaroo；　I　know　not。

＇*kangaroo　was　a　name　unknown　to　them　for　any　animal；　until　we　introduced　it。　When　I　showed　Colbee　the　cows　brought　out　in　the　Gorgon；　he　asked　me　if　they　were　kangaroos。＇

The　Indians　sometimes　kill　the　kangaroo；　but　their　greatest　destroyer　is　the　wild　dog；*　who　feeds　on　them。　　Immediately　on　hearing　or　seeing　this　formidable　enemy；　the　kangaroo　flies　to　the　thickest　cover；　in　which；　if　he　can　involve　himself；　he　generally　escapes。　　In　running　to　the　cover；　they　always；　if　possible；　keep　in　paths　of　their　own　forming；　to　avoid　the　high　grass　and　stumps　of　trees　which　might　be　sticking　up　among　it　to　wound　them　and　impede　their　course。

＇*I　once　found　in　the　woo