' rhad
a tranfient and imperfect view of a quadruped about as
*.— --- 1 big .as a rabbit: Mr. Banks’s greyhound,Taefday i . - . _ . _ . which was with us, got light,of it, and would probably have caught it,.^but
the moment he fet off he lamed himfelf, againft a flump
which lay concealed in the long grafs. We afterwards faw the
dung of an animal which fed upon grafs, and which we
judged could not be lefs than a deer; and the -fOotfteps of
another, which was clawed like a dog, and feemed to be
about as big as a wolf: we alfo tracked a fmall animal,
whofe foot refembled that of a polcat or weafel. The trees
over our head abounded with birds of various kinds, among
which were many of exquifite beauty, particularly loriquets
and cockatoos, which flew in flocks of feveral fcores together.
We found fome wood which had been felled by the
natives with a blunt inftrument, and fome that had been
.barked. The trees were not of many fpecies; among others
there was a large one which yielded a gum not unlike the
■ Sanguis draconis; and in fome of them flops had been cut at
about three feet diftance from each other, for the conveni-
jence of climbing them,
"From this excurfion we returned between three and four
o’clock, and having dined onboard, we went afhore again at
the watering-place, where a party of men were filling calks.
Mr. Gore, the Second Lieutenant, had been fent out in the
morning with a boat to dredge for oyfiers at the head of thé
ba y; when he had performed this fervice, he went afhore,
and having taken a midfhipman with him, and fent tbeboat
away, fet out to join the waterers by land. In his way he
fell in with a body of two and twenty Indians, who followed
him, and were often not more than twenty yards diflant;
•when Mr. Gore perceived them fo near, he flopped, and faced
about, upon which they flopped alfo,; and when he went
on
cm again, continued their purfuit: they did not however 1779-
attack him, though they were all armed with lances, and '— -
he and the midfhipman got in fafety to the: watering-place,. Ta^day *’
The Indians,- who had flacbened their purfuit when they
came in light of the main body of our people, halted at
about the diftance: of a-quarter of a- mile, where they flood.
Hill. Mr. Monkhoufe and two or three o f the waterers took-
it in their head to march up to them; but feeing the Indians-
keep- their ground till they came pretty near them,, they-
were feized with a fudden fear very common to-the rafh and.
fool-hardy, and made a hafty retreat: this Hep, which in--
fured the danger that it was taken to avoid, encouraged the-
Indians,- and four of them running forward difc-harged their-
lances at the fugitives, with fuch force that, flying no lefs
than forty yards, they went beyond them.. As the Indians;
did not purfue, our people, re-covering, their fpirits, flopped,
to collect the lances when they came up to the place where-
they la y ; upon which the Indians, in their turn, began to-
retire. Juft at this time I came up, with Mr. Banks, Dr. So--
lander, and Tupia; and being defirous to convince the Indians
that we were neither afraid of them, nor intended-
them any mifchief, we advanced' towards them, making
figns of expoftulation and entreaty, but they could not b e
perfuaded to wait till we'could come up. Mr. Gore told us,,
that he had feen-fome of them up the bay, who had invited
him by figns to come on fhore,. which he, certainly with,
great prudence, declined.
The morning of the next day-was-fo'rainy,. that we were wtdnefv*,
all glad to flay on board. In the, afternoon, however,,, it
cleared up, and we made another excurfion along the fea-
coaftto the fouthward : we went afhore, and Mr-. Banks and'
Dr. Solander gathered many plants ; but befides thefe we
faw nothing worthy o f notice. At our firft entering thewoodsy,