NATIVES SEEN AT A DISTANCE. 57 



g'ood pastoral country at the back. We found no 

 fresh water during' our walk* of two wells which 

 had been dug* by the settlers^ through stiff clay^ one 

 was dry^ and the other contained a puddle of 

 brackish water^ not fit to drink. We met with 

 few birds^ but saw many tracks of emus and 

 kang'aroos. 



During- our stay at Port Curtis^ we had no inter- 

 course whatever with the natives^ although anxious 

 to establish friendly communication. With the aid 

 of the spyglass_, we could occasionally make out a 

 fcAV^ chiefly women^ collecting shell-fish on the mud 

 flats of the main land^ and their fires were daily 

 seen in every direction. The employment of fire- 

 arms against them on several occasions by the 

 crew of the Lord Auckland (under^ apparently^ 

 justifiable circumstances however)^ which left the 

 harbour^ after repairing her damages^ only a few 

 months before our arrival^ had probably taug'ht the 

 natives to look with distrust upon white men ; and 

 they cautiously avoided our parties. 



On Facing* Island^ our sportsmen found little 

 inland to recompense them for their trouble^ except 

 blue mountain parrots and quail* but along* the 

 shore^ curlews^ ojstercatchers^ and godwits^ were 

 plentiful. One da}' I killed a bustard (Otis Austral- 

 as'uma), weighing* 22^ pounds ; the goodness of its 

 flesh was duly appreciated by my messmates. Several 

 small flocks of this noblest of the Australian o-ame- 

 birds were seen ; but^ from their frequenting* the 



