NEW SOUTH WALES. 313 



armed savages. On asking* them to tell him 

 what was become of the white men, the natives 

 said, they 'were gone to Sydney; but as he 

 found they had taken away the sails, the men's 

 blankets, and every thing that they had with 

 them, this did not satisfy him ; so he then 

 threatened to fire if they did not inform him 

 directly, and presented Ids nuisqnet at them. 

 At this they laughed, and said, that if he did 

 not go away, and leave the. small boat, he had 

 brought, and the whale-boat they would spear 

 every white man there, and accordingly poised 

 their spears in a very threatening manner. 

 Hacking again levelled his piece at tbem, and 

 snapped it without priming, merely to alarm 

 them ; but they on the contrary, became far 

 more noisy and violent than before. Finding 

 an attack was certain, lie charged with buck- 

 shot, and ordered them to leave the place ; but, 

 their violence increasing, he at length fired, and 

 four fell, one of whom got up again and ran 

 away ; but as the other three remained on the 

 ground, they were most .probably mortally 

 wounded. The whole body now disappeared, 

 leaving Hacking to retreat unmolested. 



As our people had been in the constant habit 

 of visiting this river for coals, an d„ were always 

 very particular in their conduct to all the natives 

 they met with, treating them with kindness and 

 civility, for their behaviour there was but one way 

 to account. It has ever been universaliv allowed, 

 that all savages are under the influence of sud- 



s s 



