178 FIRST DISCOVERY OF TORT DAVEY, ETC. 



one pound each in Hobart Town Was not a Bad Begin- 

 ing by the Black Ladies, the Six Women then went to 

 the top of a> Small Hill and Made Smoaks as Signals to the 

 Natives on the Main that they had been Killing Seals 

 Which was soon answered by Smoaks" on the Beach We 

 Skined the Seals and peged them out to Dry the Women 

 then Commenced — Cooking their Supper Each Cut a Shoul- 

 der off a young Seal Weighing three or four pounds and 

 threw them on the fire When they were about Half Done 

 they Commenced Devouring them and Rubing the oil 

 on thair Skin Saying they had a Glorious Meal. 



19th January 1816 

 at Daylight being Low Water the Women Began 

 Killing Seals they would not Let us Come Near untill 

 they had Killed all that Could be got on the Beach they 

 Killed twenty six before Brakfast, the Weather being 

 fine Wind South East, the Remainder of the Day was 

 Spent Catching and Killing Seals Principally by the 

 Women 



20th January 1816 

 at Sun Rise Smoaks were made on the Main, the 

 Women Said they were Signals for us to Come over wo 

 were Employed untill Noon Killing and Skining Seals 

 Mostly by the Women Swiming to the outer Rocks the 

 Seals geting Verry Shy we only Succeeded in geting Six- 

 teen Skins in the Evening Launched the Boat and Went 

 over to the Main Took two of the Women and Loaded 

 the Boat with Carcases of the Seals we had Skined, on 

 arrival at the Beach Tolobunganah*' was there the two 

 Women told him What we had Done he was Delighted to 

 See the Boat Loaded with Seals he told us he had plenty 

 of Kangaroo and Skins for us in payment for the Seals 

 We threw the Seals into the Water the two Women Draged 

 them to the Beach Tolo ordered the Mob, to take them 

 all into the Bush in a, few Minutes they Returned with 

 ten Dead Kangaroo and about Ninety Skins Tolo Enquired 

 how Long we Should want the Women we told him about 

 two or three days as the Seals were geting Scarce we 

 should not Stay Longer he ordered the two Women to go> 

 over with us and Stop as Long as we Required them the 

 Wind being from the Westward we Run over to the Is- 

 land and hauled the Boat up the four Women we left on 

 the Island informed us that During our absence they had 

 Caught Six Seals. 



21 t January 1816 



During this Dav fresh Brezes at South West and fine 

 Weather Employed Drying and packing Skins in Bundles 



