SEARCH
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Prev | Current Page 130 | Next

Dampier, William, 1652-1715

"A Voyage to New Holland"


OF THE LAND THERE, VEGETABLES, BIRDS, ETC.
The land is of an indifferent height, so that it may be seen 9 or 10
leagues off. It appears at a distance very even; but as you come nigher
you find there are many gentle risings, though none steep nor high. It is
all a steep shore against the open sea: but in this bay or sound we were
now in the land is low by the seaside, rising gradually in within the
land. The mould is sand by the seaside, producing a large sort of
samphire, which bears a white flower. Farther in the mould is reddish, a
sort of sand producing some grass, plants, and shrubs. The grass grows in
great tufts as big as a bushel, here and there a tuft: being intermixed
with much heath, much of the kind we have growing on our commons in
England. Of trees or shrubs here are divers sorts; but none above 10 foot
high: their bodies about 3 foot about, and 5 or 6 foot high before you
come to the branches, which are bushy and composed of small twigs there
spreading abroad, though thick set, and full of leaves; which were mostly
long and narrow. The colour of the leaves was on one side whitish, and on
the other green; and the bark of the trees was generally of the same
colour with the leaves, of a pale green.


Pages:
118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142