PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE. 7^ 



of its members, I could not contemplate without 

 some anxiety. I directed the men to occupy such 

 situations in the long grass as would give the most 

 deceptive appearance to our numbers, and stationed 

 Mr. Bynoe, Mr. Forsyth, and myself where, if re- 

 quired, we could act most effectually. These 

 preparations were hardly complete, when two na- 

 tives, accompanied by a large cream-coloured dog 

 that howled mournfully, came down suddenly, 

 shouting "Ho! ho!" upon the opposite bank, as 

 though more clearly to reconnoitre our position. 

 They were fine looking men, with bushy hair and 

 spare limbs, quite naked, and apparently unarmed 

 — a usual indication among the aborigines of Austra- 

 lia that their intentions are peaceful. They amused 

 themselves for a time by making all sorts of gestures, 

 shouting still "ho! ho!" to those of their body in 

 concealment, from whom they had probably been 

 detached for observation. What they thought of 

 us, strange intruders as we must have appeared to 

 them, it is not possible fully even to imagine ; at 

 any rate they seemed impressed with some sort of 

 respect either for our appearance, jaded as we were, 

 or our position, and forbore any nearer approach. 

 I was of course very glad that no appeal to force 

 was necessary: in the first place I should very re- 

 luctantly have resorted to it against those to whom 

 we appeared in the character of invaders of a peace- 

 ful country, and in the second, had one of our party 

 been wounded, the consequent delay would have 



