THIRD VOYAGE 229 



continued all day, and effectually prevented our sailing. 

 I therefore sent a party over to the east point of the bay 

 to cut grass, and another to cut wood. I accompanied 

 the latter. We had observed several of the natives this 

 morning sauntering along the shore, which assured us that 

 though their consternation had made them leave us so 

 abruptly the day before, they were convinced that we in- 

 tended them no mischief, and were desirous of renewing 

 the intercourse. It was natural that I should wish to be 

 present on the occasion. 



" We had not been long landed before about twenty of 

 them, men and boys, joined us, without expressing the least 

 sign of fear or distrust. There was one of this company 

 conspicuously deformed ; and who was not more distin- 

 guishable by the hump on his back, than by the drollery 

 of his gestures, and the seeming humour of his speeches ; 

 which he was very fond of exhibiting, as we supposed, for 

 our entertainment. His language appeared to me to be 

 different from that spoken by the inhabitants of the more 

 northern parts of this country, whom I met with in my first 

 voyage, which is not extraordinary, since those we now saw, 

 and those we then visited, differ in many other respects. 



" Some of our present group wore, loose, round their 

 necks, three or four folds of small cord, made of the fur 

 of some animal ; and others of them had a narrow slip of 

 the kangaroo skin tied round their ankles. I gave to each 

 of them a string of beads and a medal, which I thought 

 they received with some satisfaction. They seemed to set 

 no value on iron or on iron tools. They were even ignorant 

 of the use of fish-hooks, if we might judge from their 

 manner of looking at some of ours which we showed to 

 them though it is certain they derive no inconsiderable 

 part of their subsistence from the sea. We saw, however, 

 no vessel in which they could go on the water. Their 

 habitations were little sheds or hovels built of sticks, and 

 covered with bark. 



" After staying about an hour with the wooding party and 

 the natives, I went over to the grass-cutters. Having seen 

 the boats loaded, I returned on board to dinner, where, 

 some time after, Lieutenant King arrived. 



" From him I learnt that I had but just left the shore 

 when several women and children made their appearance. 

 These females wore a kangaroo skin tied over the shoulders, 

 and round the waist. But its only use seemed to be to 

 support their children when carried on their backs, for it 

 did not cover their persons, being in all other respects as 

 naked as the men, and as black, and their bodies tattooed 

 in the same manner. But in this they differed from the 



