" tom's" terror of them. 173 



perceived a party of natives, armed with spears 

 approaching the boat, with evident hostile designs. 

 They of course naturally looked upon us as intru- 

 ders ; and as the point was not worth contesting, 

 the creek being of no importance, Mr. Fitzmaurice 

 thought it better to withdraw, rather than run the 

 risk of a collision that could have led to no beneficial 

 results. 



The native youth we had brought with us from 

 Swan River did not at all approve of these excur- 

 sions. He was generally taken, with a view of 

 giving confidence to any of his wild countrymen 

 who might be encountered ; but he exhibited the 

 greatest possible repugnance to this service. His 

 terror for the northern men fully equalled that 

 of Miago, from whom doubtless he had received the 

 most terrific accounts. It was only by giving him 

 a gun that he could be at all induced to go. 

 He evidently felt himself more secure with Euro- 

 pean arms than with his own rude ones ; and 

 appeared to have learnt their superiority by ex- 

 perience, for he was a very fair shot. When I first 

 asked him why he did not prefer his spear, 

 his simple reply was, "Can't look out ;" meaning 

 that the northern men could not see the contents 

 of a gun coming, whereas if a spear were 

 hurled at them they could avoid it. His bra- 

 very was of much the same complexion as that of 

 Miago ; and he threatened magnanimously to inflict 

 the most condign punishment on the fellows who 



