1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 3 



grass, and which we judged could not be less than a 

 deer ; and the footsteps of another, which was claw- 

 ed like a dog, and seemed to be about as big as a 

 wolf. We also tracked a small animal, whose foot re- 

 sembled that of a polecat or weasel. The trees over 

 our head abounded with birds of various kinds, among 

 which were many of exquisite beauty, particularly 

 loriquets and cockatoos, which flew in flocks of seve- 

 ral scores together. We found some wood which had 

 been felled by the natives with a blunt instrument, 

 and some that had been barked. The trees were not 

 of many species ; among others there was a large one 

 which yielded a gum not unlike the sanguis draconis; 

 and in some of them steps had been cut at about three 

 feet distance from each other, for the convenience of 

 climbing them. 



From this excursion we returned between three 

 and four o'clock, and having dined on board, w 7 e 

 went ashore again at the watering-place, where a 

 party of men were rilling casks. Mr. Gore, the se- 

 cond lieutenant, had been sent out in the morning 

 with a boat to dredge for oysters at the head of the 

 bay ; when he had performed this service, he went 

 ashore, and having taken a midshipman with him, 

 and sent the boat away, set out to join the wa- 

 terers by land. In his way he fell in with a body of 

 two-and-twentv Indians, who followed him, and were 

 often not more than twenty yards distant. When Mr. 

 Gore perceived them so near, he stopped, and faced 

 about, upon which they stopped also ; and when he 

 went on again, continued their pursuit. They did not, 

 however, attack him, though they were all armed with 

 lances, and he and the midshipman got in safety to 

 the watering-place. The Indians, who had slackened 

 their pursuit when they came in sight of the main 

 body of our people, halted at about the distance of 

 a quarter of a mile, where they stood still. Mr. 

 Monkhouse and two or three of the waterers took it 

 into their head to march up to them ; but seeing the 



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