NARROW ESCAPE OF MR. FITZMAURICE. 413 



a look of fierce revenge, as the canoe made towards 

 the land, after I had ceased my endeavours to entice 

 them on board. 



Whatever these people may have imagined to be 

 our motive in wishing them to visit the ship, I little 

 thought that my pressing them would have so 

 nearly led to fatal results. I shall proceed to 

 explain this remark by relating the startling cir- 

 cumstances from which Escape Cliffs received their 

 name. 



A few days after my interview in the dingy with 

 the natives, Mr. Fitzmaurice went ashore to com- 

 pare the compasses. From the quantity of iron 

 contained in the rocks, it was necessary to select a 

 spot free from their influence. A sandy beach at 

 the foot of Escape Cliffs was accordingly chosen. 

 The observations had been commenced, and were 

 about half completed, when on the summit of the 

 cliffs, which rose about twenty feet above their heads, 

 suddenly appeared a large party of natives with 

 poised and quivering spears, as if about imme- 

 diately to deliver them. Stamping on the ground, 

 and shaking their heads to and fro, they threw out 

 their long shaggy locks in a circle, whilst their 

 glaring eyes flashed with fury as they champed and 

 spit out the ends of their long beards.* They were 

 evidently in earnest, and bent on mischief. 



It was, therefore, not a little surprising to behold 



* A custom with Australian natives when in a state of violent 

 excitement. 



