9°2 TREACHERY OF NATIVES. 



about among very thick jungles growing on mud flats, 

 ended without assuming any feature of importance. 

 The natives of Rockingham Bay are very numer- 

 ous. Those of Gould Island have been mentioned, 

 and their peculiarly formed canoes and paddles 

 described by Captain King. We found them very 

 friendly and familiar at first, and they were in the 

 habit of coming off every day to the ship, and having 

 presents of food and other things made to them. So 

 much confidence was placed in their good disposi- 

 tion that our boats' crews at last neglected to take 

 their arms with them when they went ashore for 

 water or to haul the seine. On the very last night 

 of our stay, however, after catching a good haul of 

 fish in the seine, and distributing some of them to 

 the natives, they were suddenly assailed, as they were 

 dragging the boat into deep water, by a shower of 

 spears and stones from the neighbouring bushes. 

 Mr. Weekes, the boatswain, who was in charge of 

 the party, was knocked down by a large stone, and 

 so much hurt as to be laid up for a week afterwards. 

 Luckily, one of the men had a fowling-piece, and 

 after firing his piece without producing any effect, 

 a ball was found in the boat, with which one of the 

 foremost black fellows was shot, and the attack im- 

 mediately ceased. 



While away with Lieut. Ince and Mr. Pym, in 

 one of the creeks on the north side of the bay, we 

 were at one time surrounded by several parties of 

 natives, amounting to forty or fifty in number, and 



