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placed sentries, and made the various arrangements necessary
for receiving the anticipated visits of some hundred natives.
We had time to do all this quietly, as our boats had distanced
their pursuers several miles, while running from the Murray
Narrow befoi-e a favourable breeze which sprung up, and, to
our joy, filled every sail.
We were much pleased by the situation of Woollya, and
Jemmy was very proud of the praises bestowed upon his land.
Rising gently from the water-side, there are considerable
spaces of clear pasture land, well watered by brooks, and
backed by hills of moderate height, where we afterwards found
woods of the finest timber trees in the country. Rich grass
and some beautiful flowers, which none of us had ever seen,
pleased us when we landed, and augured well for the growth
of our garden seeds.
At our first approach, only a few natives appeared, who
were not of Jemmy’s family. The women ran away and hid
themselves, hut Jemmy and York contrived (with difficulty)
to make the men comprehend the reason of our visit; and their
awkward explanation, helped by a few presents, gradually put
them at ease. They soon understood our meaning when we
pointed to the boundary-line which they were not to pass.
This line was on the shore between our tents and the grassland
; immediately behind the tents was a good landing-place,
always sheltered, where our boats were kept in readiness in
case of any sudden necessity.
Soon after our arrangements were made, the canoes w'hich
had been following us began to arrive; but, much to my satisfaction,
the natives landed in coves at some distance from us,
where the women remained with the canoes while the men
and boys came overland to our little camp. This was very
favourable for us, because it divided their numbers and left
our boats undisturbed. We had only to guard our front,
instead of being obliged to look out all round, as I had
expected; and really it would have been no trifling affair to
watch the pilfering hands and feet of some hundred natives,
while many of our own party (altogether only thirty in num-
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