348 HISTORY OF 



number of white men increasing to eight, they 

 became alarmed and seeming to look with a jea- 

 lous eye on the shot belt Lieut. Flinders wore, 

 which they undoubtedly must have thought to 

 be some weapon. 



To restore their confidence, he gave it one of 

 the people to carry away; but this he thought 

 wrong, as it might tend to make them suspicious 

 of every thing they saw, and thus destroy their 

 friendly intercourse. By this belt they certain- 

 ly recognised Lieut. Flinders as the person who 

 fired on them before, and were evidently desir- 

 ous that he should keep at a much greater dis- 

 tance than any other person. Three of the sail- 

 ers, who were Scotch, attempted to dance a reel, 

 "but made a very bad business of it, which the 

 natives seemed to view cither without amuse* 

 ment or curiosity. Finding at length they could 

 not persuade the natives to visit the sloop, they 

 parted with them in a very friendly manner. 



On Thursday the 25th, having weighed an- 

 chor, and proceeded up the river in the afternoon, 

 as they might be nearer the Glass-House peaks, 

 as he now intended to visit them. Some parts 

 of the fiver, were from four to six fathoms deep ; 

 but the channel was divided, and narrow. Com- 

 ing to an anchor near that part of the Western 

 shore where the man and his family called to 

 them ; and at this time they saw a fire, and 

 heard several voices near the same place. 



The next morning Lieut. Flinders took the 

 boat up a small branch which seemed to lead to- 

 wards the peaks ; but afterwards, joining the same 



