08 AFFKAY WITH NATIVES. 



the news^and coBamunicated with the owner^who was 

 to send a larg-er vessel to pick it up and convey it at 

 once to the China market.* An inferior kind of sandal 

 wood^ the produce of Exoearpos latifolia (but which 

 afterwards turned out to be useless), was met with 

 in several localities, — as the Percy Isles, Repulse 

 Bay, Cape Upstart, Palm' Islands, &c. At this 

 last place they had much friendly intercourse with 

 the natives, who were liberally treated with pre- 

 sents. It is supposed that the sig-ht of so many 

 valuable articles had excited the cupidity of these 

 savag^es, for, one morning-, at half-past three o'clock, 

 a party came oiF in " larg-e canoes with outrig-g-ers," 

 and boarded the cutter when all hands were below. 

 Their first act was to throw into the cabin and 

 down the fore hatchway some lig-hted bark, and 

 when the master and one of the crew rushed on 

 deck in a state of confusion, they were instantly 

 knocked on the head with boomerang's and rendered 

 insensible. At this crisis, had it not been for the 

 successftil courag-e of the mate, who cleared the 

 deck with a sword, and allowed the remainder of 

 the crew to come up to his assistance, the natives 

 would probably have obtained possession of the 



* In 1847 nearly 1000 tons of this wood, procured chiefly from 

 New Caledonia, the New Hebrides,, &c.. were exported from Syd- 

 ney to China, where it is burnt with other incense in the temples. 

 The sandal-wood trade in these islands gives employment to about 

 six small vessels, belonging to Sydney. In China it realizes 

 about ^630 per ton. 



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