220 
had previously landed, was fixed on as 
the most auspicious day for hoisting the 
union jack on the fort (which was 
named Fort Dundas, in honour of the 
Noble Lord at the head of the Board 
of Admiralty) ; and as it was also the 
anniversary of a most gallant action 
fought by Captain Bremer, in the Roy- 
alist of eighteen guns, with the French 
frigate Weser of forty guns, and 350 
men, which ended in the capture of the 
latter, was an additional inducement to 
those now under Captain Bremer’s com- 
mand to wish that day might be select- 
ed for the interesting ceremony. 
Captain Bremer had requested the 
company of every officer that could be 
spared from the respective services, to 
dine with him on shore on this occa- 
sion; and upwards of twenty sat down 
to the first publie dinner ever given on 
Melville Island. 
On the cloth being removed, and his 
Majesty’s health being drank, the union 
jack was hoisted, and was saluted by 
twenty-one guns from the fort (the first 
ever fired in this part of Australia), and 
was’ answered by the heart-felt cheers 
of those on shore, and on board the 
ships—the working parties or convicts 
getting double allowance, joined in the 
general good-humour and felicity of the 
day. 
It is in vain for me to attempt a de- 
scription of our feelings on this oc- 
casion. In fact, we were delighted; 
placed at the distance of nearly nine- 
teen thousand miles from home, in a 
part of the werld which had hitherto 
never been visited by civilized man, and 
turned, as it were by magic, into a 
British settlement, gave rise to feelings 
easier to be conceived than described. 
At.sunset the flag was lowered down, 
and introduced to the mess table, where 
it underwent the ceremony of christen- 
ing in bumpers of claret; every one 
present having hold of the flag, and 
standing as sponsers, vowing to protect 
the bantling with their best blood. 
I noticed, in a former part, that the 
natives continued their fires as we 
passed along the coast of Australia; so 
they did from our first arrival at these 
islands. In the first instance, they ap- 
peared at a distance, and detached from 
each other, which we supposed were 
the fires of different tribes; but they 
daily approached each other, and neared 
us considerably; so that it would ap- 
' pear they were endeavouring to sur- 
round us in a body. The fires to the 
eastward of the ship, on Melville Island, 
Voyage to Australia, Sc. 
[Oct. I, 
remained stationary from the early part 
of the month, but those on Bathurst 
Island were still advancing, and on the 
nights of the 22d, 23d, and 24th, were 
joined in one extensive sheet covering 
an extent of several miles ; sending forth 
such an immense body of light, as to 
make every object round us perfectly 
visible, although at the distance of 
several miles. 
The fires in our neighbourhood, on 
Melville Island, got stronger, and also 
began to close on the fort. Up to this 
time we had not seen any of the na- 
tives ; although traces of them were visi- 
ble in every place where we went. On the 
25th, Captain Bremer and a few of the 
officers crossed over to Bathurst Island, 
and rowed up a salt lagoon, and were 
not a little surprised, on their return, to 
find themselves intercepted by a party 
of the natives, at a point where the 
water was fordable to an opposite sand- 
bank. The whole of them being armed 
with spears and waddeys, at first seemed 
disposed to dispute the passage with us; 
but on the boat pulling towards them, 
they retreated. However, after a little 
time, they ventured to the boat; and a 
few handkerchiefs and other trifles 
being given them, they laughed, seemed 
well pleased, and the boat left them. 
On the same afternoon, a party of 
them came down to the settlement, 
surprised some of our men who were 
cutting wood, and took from them their 
axes, of the use of which they seemed 
to have a correct idea; no doubt from 
seeing our men at work, felling the tim- 
ber in the woods. This caused a general 
outcry: the women flew to the boats ; 
the men seized their arms; whilst the 
blacks scampered into the thicket, very 
well pleased with their prize. | Their 
numbers were variously represented ; 
some said there were thousands, others 
hundreds; but when we came up to 
them in the woods, their party did not 
exceed twenty. No doubt, there were 
many more dispersed about, as they 
always have a reserve to carry their 
arms, and to guard the old men, women, 
and children. We soon established an 
intercourse with this party, by making 
signs of peace, and giving our arms to 
those behind us, and advancing slowly 
towards them. They also threw down 
their arms, and seemed to feel a tolera- 
ble degree of confidence : several of the 
youngest, however, kept in the rear, 
and collected the spéars ready for ac- 
tion. 
They made many signs for hatchets, 
which 
