NEW SOUTH WALES. 353 



tiion Bong-ree. The party ou the East shore, 

 near which the vessel lay, went out every morn- 

 ing at day light along the side of the river with 

 nets on their shoulders ; and the mode in which 

 they used them was, whichever saw a fish, by 

 some dextrous manoeuvre got at the back of it, 

 and spread out his scoop net: others prevented 

 its escaping on either side, and in one or other 

 of their nets the fish was infallibly caught. 

 With these nets they saw them run sometimes 

 up to their middle in water, and they were ge- 

 nerally successful, after fishing they made a fire 

 near the beach, and sat down by it to regale with 

 their fish, which was no sooner out of the water 

 than on the fire. 



The rain clearing up on Tuesday, in the after- 

 noon, a party went to the Eastern shore to pro- 

 cure fire- wood, and comply with the desire 

 which the natives had expressed of seeing them 

 land. On approaching them, they carried their 

 nets away to the wood, but three of them who 

 remained, suffered the white people to advance 

 without laying down their muskets, which never 

 happened before. They were still timorous ; but 

 on being requested by signs to sing, they began 

 a song in concert, which actually was musical 

 and pleasing, and in rather a melancholy strain. 

 Bong-ree gave them a song at the conclusion 

 of theirs, which sounded barbarous ; but he was 

 thought a poor singer in his own country. 



These, like the natives of Port Jackson, fal- 

 ling to a low pitch of their voice, recommenced 



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