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Forbes, George

"Adventures in Southern Seas A Tale of the Sixteenth Century"

They have large heads, round foreheads, and great brows.
Their eyelids are always half-closed to keep the flies out of their
eyes, these insects being so troublesome that no fanning will keep them
away; so from their infancy being so tormented, they do never open
their eyes as other people do, nor can they see far unless they hold up
their heads as if they were looking at something over them. They have
great bottle noses, full lips, and wide mouths.
They appeared to be quite indifferent to our landing upon their island,
nor did they exhibit any fear or surprise at seeing us. We endeavoured
to make them help us carry some water barrels to the boats. But though
the barrels contained only six gallons each, and we put them on their
shoulders, all the signs we could make to get them to carry them were
useless. They stood like statues, without motion, grinning like so many
monkeys. Having watered our vessel we once more put to sea.
We were now, by our reckoning, somewhere in the vicinity of New
Holland, and at six o'clock in the evening we shortened sail. We were
then in twenty fathoms of water, when suddenly we again found ourselves
in deep water, and believed all danger at an end.


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