which we supposed to have contained water, and some shells and fish-bones, the remains of a recent meal.  We saw also, lying upon the ground, several pieces of soft bark, about the length and breadth of a man, which we imagined might be their beds; and, on the windward side of the fires, a small shade, about a foot and a half high, of the same substance.  The whole was in a thicket of close trees, which afforded good shelter from the wind.  The place seemed to be much trodden, and as we saw no house, nor any remains of a house, we were inclined to believe that, as these people had no clothes, they had no dwelling; but spent their nights, among the other commoners of Nature, in the open air; and Tupia himself, with an air of superiority and compassion, shook his head, and said, that they were Taata Enos, “poor wretches,".[77] I measured the perpendicular height of the last tide, and found it to be eight feet above low-water mark, and from the time of low-water this day, I found that it must be high-water at the full and change of the moon at eight o’clock.

[Footnote 77:  The natives of New Holland are indeed “poor wretches;” but let it be remembered that the term poor is relative.  The reader must make allowance for prejudice, in judging of their state from the testimony of one who had lived in Otaheitan luxury.  A Sicilian, it is probable, would give a very sorry account of the Highlands and Highlanders of Scotland—­

   Yet still e’en here Content can spread a charm,
   Redress the clime, and all its rage disarm.

We never more erroneously estimate the happiness of a people, than when we set up our own habits as the criterion of perfection.  The error of Tupia is the error of thousands.—­E.]

At four o’clock in the morning we weighed, and with a gentle breeze at south made sail out of the bay.  In standing out, our soundings were from five to fifteen fathom; and at day-light, when we were in the greatest depth, and abreast of the north head of the bay, we discovered breakers stretching out from it N.N.E. between two and three miles, with a rock at the outermost point of them just above water.  While we were passing these rocks, at the distance of about half a mile, we had from fifteen to twenty fathom; and as soon as we had passed them, we hauled along shore W.N.W. for the farthest land we had in sight.  At noon, our latitude, by observation, was 23 deg. 52’ S.; the north part of Bustard Bay bore S. 62 E. distant ten miles; and the northermost land in sight N. 60 W.; the longitude was 208 deg. 37’, and our distance from the nearest shore six miles, with fourteen fathom water.