Tinging and dancing : their Tinging, indeed, could not be diftinftly
heard, being nearly loft in the wind. Not a Tpear was at any time
Teen among them.
While lying here, Mr. Flinders had Tome opportunity o f obferv-
ing their manner of filhing, which was perfectly new to his companion
Bong-ree. The party on the eaft fhore, near which the
veffel lay, went out each morning at daylight along the fide o f
the river with nets on their Ihoulders ; and this, as far as a diftant
view would allow of obfervation, appeared to be the mode in which
they ufed them. Whichever o f the party fees a fifh, by feme
dextrous manoeuvre, gets at the back o f it, and fpreads out his
fcoop n e t: others prevent its efcaping on either fide, and in one
or other o f their nets the fiih is almoft infallibly caught. With
thefe nets they faw them run fometimes up to their middle in water;
and, to judge from the event, they Teemed to be fuccefsful, as they
generally Toon made a fire near the beach, and fat down by i t ; no
doubt, to regale with their fiih, which was thus no fooner out of
the water than it was on the fire.
The rain ceafing on Tuefday afternoon, a party went to the
eaftern fhore to procure fire-wood, and to comply with the defire
which the natives had fo often expreffed o f feeing them land
among them. On approaching them, they carried their nets away
into the wood ; but three o f them, who remained, fuffered the
white people to advance without laying down their mufquets,
which had never happened before. They were ftill timorous; but,
on being encouraged and requefted by figns to Ting, they began a
fong in concert, which adually was mufical and pleafing, and not
merely in the diatonic fcale, defending by thirds, as at Port
Jackfon; the defeent o f this was waving, in rather a melancholy
foothing ftrain. The fong of Bong-ree, which he gave them at the
conclufion o f theirs, founded barbarous'and grating to the ear ; but
Bong-ree was an indifferent fongfter,' even among his own countrymen
I Thefe
Thefe people, like the natives o f Port Jackfon, having fallen to
the low pitch o f their voices, recommenced their fong at the odave,
which was accompanied by flow and not ungraceful motions o f the
body and limbs, their hands being held up in a fupplicating pofture,
and the tone and manner of their fong and geftures feemed to befpeak
the good will and forbearance o f their auditors. Obferving that
they were attentively liftened to, they each feleded one o f our
people, and placed his mouth clofe to his ear, as if to produce a
greater effed, or, it might be, to teach them the fong, which their
filent attention might feem to exprefs a defire to learn. In return
for the pleafure they had afforded, Mr. Flinders gave them fome
worfted caps, and a pair o f old blanket trowfers, with which they
were much gratified. Several other natives foon made their appearance,
probably thofe who had carried away the nets. It was
fome little time before they could overcome their dread of approaching
the ftrangers with their fire-arms ; but, encouraged by the three
who were with them, they came up, and a general fong and dance
was commenced. Their finging was not confined to one air ; they
gave three, but the firft was the moft pleafing.
Of thofe who laft came, three were remarkable for the large-
nefs o f their heads ; and one, whofe face was very rough, had
much more the appearance o f a baboon than o f a human being. He
was covered with oily foot; his hair matted with filth ; his vifage,
even among his fellows, uncommonly ferocious; and his very large
mouth, befet with teeth o f every, hue between black, white, green,
and yellow, fometimes 'prefented a fmile, which might make one
Ihudder.
Among other friendly interchanges, they learned the names of
Mr. Flinders and his party. Him they called * “Mid-ger Plindah,”
* In thefe particularities, their langi&ge refembled that of the Port Jackfon natives. I t maybe
feen in the former account, that Mr. Ball was named Mid-ger Bool, and that none of them
could ever pronounce the letters f. or f. Even Ben-nil-long, on his return from England, ftill
«fed .caw-bc for coffee- Many other inftances might be adduced.
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