A new discovery of Terra incognita Australis, or, The southern world, by James Sadeur, a French-man, who being cast there by a shipwrack, lived 35 years in that country and gives a particular description of the manners, customs, religion, laws, studies and wars of those southern people, and of some animals peculiar to that place ... translated from the French copy ...

CHAP. XI.

Of some rare Commodities in Australia, or the Southern World, that might be useful to Europe.

THey are in a great error that think Europe to be a Country that has no need of its Neighbours; the new Com∣modities which we have received by our Commerce with Asia and America since this last hundred years, are a certain proof of it; and it is not to be doubted, but if we could have the like Traffick with the Australians▪ we should still gain more considerable advantages than by any o∣ther known Commerce. I shall only men∣tion four of those advantages which we should infallibly reap by such a Trade.

Among the Beasts that I have descri∣bed, the Hums would render us inestima∣ble Service, because they would ease our men of the extraordinary pains they are fain to take in digging and plowing up the Earth; but the Suefs would prove still much more profitable to us than they, for they are Beasts more gentle and tra∣ctable than Oxen, and may be kept so

cheap, that two pounds of Grass or Herbs will keep one of them three Days. They can endure a whole Day without eating, and in the most difficult Journies, they will travel 18 or 20 Leagues out-right, without any need of stopping to bait. It is easie to guess what profit the Merchants would get by these Creatures, for they would not need to be at the tenth part of the charge they now are at for the carriage of their Goods, two of these A∣nimals being able to carry as much as a large Waggon drawn by six Horses. The Australians, that have no need of any Traffick, are excusable for making no more account of these Beasts, but the Europeans would find it worth their while to get some of them brought over, what∣ever price they cost. But yet all this is no∣thing to the gain the Europeans might draw from those Birds of Prey of which I have spoken; for those Birds, though they are very cruel when wild, yet may be tamed, and made as gentle as any of our most domestick Animals. When I came first in∣to Australia, they had one of them which they kept in one of the Sezains, that car∣ried a Man on his back with more ease than a Spanish Courser. They are to be mounted behind their Wings, and the

Feathers on their Back supply the place of a very commodious Cushion; and in∣stead of a Bridle, one need but tie a piece of Whipcord about their Bills, with which one may guide them whither and how one pleases. In this manner a man may travel forty or fifty Leagues out right, and then after about two Hours resting to bait, he may go as many more; and so he may easily travel 100 Leagues a day, without any incommodity, without fear, without danger, and without being trou∣bled with the opposition of Rivers, Woods, Mountains, or any other obstacle, or ill rencounter in his way. But two Reasons, however, obliged the Australians to leave off the use of them, which would be of no force in Europe. The first, is because those Birds are extremely hot with Lust, after carnal Conjunction, which was the cause that sometimes they would carry their Australian Riders into some Island, where they smelt a Female of their kind, where they were devoured by the wild Birds. The second, was because they were persuaded, that the tame Birds of that kind were the chief occasion that en∣ticed the wild ones to come in such num∣bers into their Country, where they made such havock. Which considerations could

have no place in our Northern Countries, whither none would be transported but tame ones, and where there would be no wild ones at all.

These are the most considerable Re∣marks I have made upon the Animals of the Southern Countries. Next, as for the Fruits it bears, they surpass all imagina∣tion in beauty and deliciousness: The Fruit▪ which they call the Fruit of Rest, or Repose, is indued with some properties that to us would appear miraculous. Its faculty in procuring Rest when we please, and the vertue of its Juice in healing, in very little time, all manner of wounds, induce me to believe there's no Ail, or Di∣stemper in Europe, for which it would not prove a soveraign Remedy. I was infor∣med afterward, that it was with that all my wounds were cured, I had received at my coming; and though I afterward received in several Fights many sore blows more, some whereof made great wounds in my body and some broke and shattered my bones, yet by vertue of that only Juice, I was always cured in three days▪ which if known, and used in Europe, would cut short that numherless number of Drugs and Remedies, that cost so dear among us,

and which yet after all, kill more Patients than they cure.

While I lived in Portugal, I was subject to several Infirmities, and the terrible shocks I had suffered by my disasters up∣on the Sea, had very much weakned me; and yet when I came into Australia, and began to live upon the Fruits of the Earth, that are the only Food there, I can boldly affirm, That I felt not the least Indisposition, nor Infirmity; and tho' my absence at such a dreadful distance from my own Country, and the extra∣ordinary odd and strange Customs of the People I conversed with, and which I was obliged to conform to, gave me no small cause to be Melancholick, and tor∣mented me with many a bitter reflection, yet as soon as I tasted but one of the Fruits of Repose, all my Resentments were calm∣ed, and my Courage and usual briskness came to me again, my Blood danced in my Veins, and I found my self in such a disposition both of body and mind, that there was nothing I could desire to ren∣der my Contentment more compleat than it was. Of what inestimable price would such Fruits be in Europe, where grief and vexation kill the greatest part of mankind,

and troubles cause languishments far worse, and far more formidable than Death.

But can there be any thing imagined more desirable, than to live splendidly and fare very delicately, without being at any charge, since for that end, one need not have any greater Provision than three or four of those Fruits, which are incomparably more delicate, and of a much richer Relish and Nourishment, than our most succulent Meats, and most artfully seasoned Dishes, nor any o∣ther Drink, than a sort of natural Nectar, that is found running in streams in that Country, where every one may eat and drink his fill, with the greatest Pleasure in the World, without being obliged, ei∣ther to Till the Earth, or cultivate any Trees.

I have admired an hundred times how Nature comes to be so partially liberal to that Country, to give away as 'twere in sporting, and with a careless prodigality those things she is so nigardly of in our Regions. But among other things, I cannot pass in silence, that abundance of fine Crystal that is there to be found, and which the Australians know how, with such admirable Skill and Symmetry

to cut, and put together, that it is very hard to find where the Stones joyn, so exactly they seem to be all of a piece. This Crystal is so transparent, that 'twere impossible to distinguish any Po••es in it, if the rich Figures Nature forms in it of di∣vers colours, did not convince us it had some.

But that, which in my Opinion surpas∣ses all the most prodigious Rarities in the World, is a Hab, which is to be seen in the Seizain, or district of Haf▪ which is made all out of one entire piece of Cry∣stal, which could not be done, but by cutting it out of a great Rock of the same matter. This wonderful Hab▪ or Temple, surpasses all the rest in height and breadth; for it is 200 Foot high, and 150 Foot wide; the Figures with which this Crystal is interspersed, are bigger than those observed in the other, and it is vi∣sible that they are all entire, without be∣ing patched up with any inlaid pieces: They assured me, that it had been oftentimes debated among them, whether it would not be better to destroy it, than to keep it standing, because it tempts the curiosity of those that dwell afar off, and causes distraction of Thoughts in them that assemble in it: However it is yet

standing, and I can hardly believe that ever they can find in their Hearts' to vote the demolition of so rich and rare a piece as that.

The greatest difficulty I find in procu∣ring a Traffick in these Commodities be∣tween Europe and Australia, consists in finding out some way, either to force, or otherwise to dispose of such a Communi∣cation; for after having well considered the whole matter, there appear to me unsurmountable difficulties in such an en∣terprise; for the Australians being a Peo∣ple that neither cover any thing; there is no likelihood of bringing them to a Com∣pliance, by the allurements of Gain, of Rewards, or of Pleasure, nor any practi∣cable means left for us to overcome that strange aversion they have for us, which is so great, that they cannot endure to hear us mentioned▪ without declaring the passion they have to destroy us. And then besides all those things that we usual∣ly carry into the new discovered Coun∣tries, and which procures us access to their Inhabitants, pass in the esteem of the Au∣stralians, for Childrens Play-things, and meer trifles, and bawbles; they look up∣on our Gawdy Stuffs, and richest Silks, as Spiders Webs, they know not so much

as what the names of Gold or Silver signi∣fie; and in a word, all that we count precious appear in their esteem to be but ridiculous; and therefore there remains no other way to introduce our selves a∣mong them, but by open force; and in that matter they have a great advantage over us, which would frustrate all our attempts that way; for the Sea in those parts is so very shallow, that it will hard∣ly carry a Boat, at two or three Leagues distance from their Shoars, unless it be in certain particular Creeks, where there are some Veins of Water which cannot be known, but by long experience. Besides all which obstacles, they keep so exact a Guard upon all their Coasts, that it is im∣possible to surprise them, nor yet to attack them with any hopes of Success, as will appear by the following Relation of some of their Wars.