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«grefs, they met with various depths o f water ; and, perceiving an
opening in the low weftern land, Mr. Flinders wifhed to anchor
-near it, but was prevented by fhoal water. At a quarter paft eight
-in the morning they anchored in three .fathoms water for the
night.
After breakfaft Mr. Flinders went in his boat toward the,opening,
•taking Bong-ree the native with him. As they approached the Tandy
'point on the eaft fide of the opening, fome dogs came down upon
the beach, and foon after feveral natives made their apparance,
moft of them carrying fifhing nets over their fhoulders. They lay
upon their oars fome time, eonverfing with them by figns, and repeating
the words which they made ufe of. As.they feemed to be
friendly, Bong-ree wifhed to make them a v if it ; and, feeing nothing
•among them but the pieces o f fire-wood which the natives ufually
carry with them, the boat was backed in, and he jumped on fhore,
naked, and as unarmed as they themfelves appeared.
He quickly made an exchange with theyyarn belt from his waift,
for a fillet made o f kangooroo hair. The mufquets were kept at
hand in the boat, to be prepared againft any treachery; but, every
thing Teeming to go on well, the natives appearing rather fhy than
„other wife, Mr. Flinders joined his companion, taking his gun with
him. B y making friendly figns, laying down the gun, and offering
them a woollen cap, he was fuffered to approach, and one took the
cap ; but when Mr. Flinders made figns that he expected to have
his net bag in return, he gave him to underftand that he muft firfk
give him his hat. • This hat was made o f the white filaments o f the
cabbage-trec, and feemed to excite the attention and wifhes o f the
whole party.
As the hat was not given to him, he came forward, firft throwing
the cap that he had received upon the bank behind him, to
fecure it, and feemed very anxious for either the hat or gun, or
.both. -Every thing, however, was carried on very amicably; and
Mr.
Mr. Flinders, with his native, retreated flowly toward the boat,
but turned again, upon finding that they preffed- clofe after them.
One o f them then, laughing, and talking at the fame time to Mr.
Flinders, attempted to take thé'hat off his head with a long hooked
ftic’k which;'on his difcoVering’,-created a laugh. Behind him another
was ftretching out a long arm to the fame object, but was fearful
o f coming near enough to reach.it.
On our people getting Into the boat, and fhoving her off into
•deep water, they did not feem pleafed, but tried to perfuade them
to land again. Finding they cóuld not fucCeed, one of them threw
his piece of fire-wood at them ; but it falling fhort, the matter was
treated as a joke, and laughed a t .' On this, another ran into the
water, and threw his alfoi, but it likewife fell fhort: he then took the
hooked flick, and flipping off thé ' hook, which it feems was only
lafhed or tied on, produced a fpear, with which he ran up to the
middle in water, and threw at them by hand. It paffed over the
■ center-of the boat, about a foot and a half above the gunwale, but
touched no one.
After this impudent and unprovoked attack, Mr. Hinders fnapped
his gun at the man who threw the fpear; but the flint having re-,
ceived fome wet when it was laid upon the beach, it miffed fire.
It was loaded with buck fhot, and he was ftrongly tempted to fire
among the clufter of natives who were ftanding upon the beach ;
but, recolleaing himfelf, he tried again at the offender, who was
Mil ftanding in the water,'with his back turned toward them, and
calling to his companion's. The gun again miffed fire.
While this was tranfaöing, the mayor part of the natives wei e
obfetving Mr. Fli-nde-rs’s'motions with much unconcern. On the
third trial, however, it went óff. The mao in the water tell flat,
a s did every individual among them; but thole on fhore rofe al-
moft inftantaneoufly, and fcrambled away toward the bank, fome
upright, and fome upon their hands and feet. One of the people
in the boat then fired among them, and they fell again upon their
VOL. 11. H H faces ;