208 



WOOLLYA — ENCAMP. 



placed sentries, and made the various arrangements necessary 

 for receiving the anticipated visits of some hundred natives. 

 We had time to do all this quietly, as our boats had distanced 

 their pursuers several miles, while running from the Murray 

 Narrow before a favourable breeze which sprung up, and, to 

 our joy, filled every sail. 



We were much pleased by the situation of WooUya, and 

 Jemmy was very proud of the praises bestowed upon his land. 

 Rising gently from the water-side, there are considerable 

 spaces of clear pasture land, well watered by brooks, and 

 backed by hills of moderate height, where we afterwards found 

 woods of the finest timber trees in the country. Rich grass 

 and some beautiful flowers, which none of us had ever seen, 

 pleased us when we landed, and augured well for the growth 

 of our garden seeds. 



At our first approach, only a few natives appeared, who 

 were not of Jemmy's family. The women ran away and hid 

 themselves, but Jemmy and York contrived (with difficulty) 

 to make the men comprehend the reason of our visit; and their 

 awkward explanation, helped by a few presents, gradually put 

 them at ease. They soon understood our meaning when we 

 pointed to the boundary-line which they were not to pass. 

 This line was on the shore between our tents and the grass- 

 land ; immediately behind the tents was a good landing-place, 

 always sheltered, where our boats were kept in readiness in 

 case of any sudden necessity. 



Soon after our arrangements were made, the canoes which 

 had been following us began to arrive ; but, much to my satis- 

 faction, the natives landed in coves at some distance from us, 

 where the women remained with the canoes while the men 

 and boys came overland to our little camp. This was very 

 favourable for us, because it divided their numbers and left 

 our boats undisturbed. We had only to guard our front, 

 instead of being obliged to look out all round, as I bad 

 expected ; and really it would have been no trifling affair to 

 watch the pilfering hands and feet of some hundred natives, 

 while many of our own party (altogether only thirty in num- 



