17940 OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 269 



them. Mr. Dell was himfelf employed on this occafion, and re- 

 turned with the melancholy account of his being unable to difcover 

 their loft companions. An armed force was fent on fhore, but fuc- 

 ceeded only in burning the huts and inclofures of the natives. At a 

 fire they found fome inconteftable proofs that their friends could not 

 be living ; of three human hands which they took up, one, by fome 

 particular marks, was pofitively thought by Mr. Dell to have belonged 

 to Mr. Carter ; their great coats were found with the buttons cut off ; 

 a tinder-box, a lantern, a tomahawk, and other articles from the boat, 

 were alfo difcovered ; but though they rowed entirely round the ifland, 

 looking into every cove or creek, the boat could not be feen. Mr, 

 Dell was, if poffible, to procure two prifoners ; but he could not fuc- 

 ceed. In the intercourfe, which he had with them, however, they 

 gave him to underftand, by figns, that they killed all who were in the 

 boat, except two ; at leaf!:, fo Mr. Dell thought ; but if it was fo, 

 nothing could be hoped from the exception, nor could any other 

 conclufion be formed, than that they were referved perhaps for more 

 deliberate torture, and an equally horrid end. 



This ifland was defcribed as abounding with the red fweet potatoe, 

 fugar-cane, plantains, bamboo, cocoa-trees, and mangroves. The 

 natives appeared ftout, and were in height from five feet eight to fix 

 feet two inches ; their colour dark, and their language harfh and dif- 

 agreeable. The weapons which were feen were fpears, lances made of 

 a hard black wood, and clubs about four feet in length. They lived 

 in huts refembling hay-cocks, with a pole driven through the middle, 

 formed of long grafs and the leaves of the cocoa-tree. Thefe huts 

 might contain fix or eight perfons each, and were inclofed with a 

 fence of bamboo. In a corner of fome of the huts which they entered, 

 they perceived a wooden image, intended to referable a man ; in others, 

 the figure of a bird, very rudely carved, daubed with red, and curi- 

 oufly decorated with the feathers of the emus; over thefe images were 

 fufpend'ed from the roof feveral firings of human hands, each firing 

 having five or fix hands on it. In fome they found fmall piles of 



human 



