VOYAGE TO NEW SOUTH WALES. 
been moft familiar with us made figns for us to Rop-^ 
which we readily complying with, he ran to the fum- 
mit, and made a ftrange kind of hallooing, holding at 
the fame time his hands open above his head. As foon 
as we came up to him, we difcovered another large body of 
them in a bay, about half a mile below us. Our new friend 
feemed anxious to carry us down to them ; but it not being 
in our way, we declined his offer. Seeing us take another 
diredlion, he halted, and opened his hands, in order, as 
we fuppofed, to put us in mind that he had received no- 
thing from us ; upon which we prefented him with a bird, 
the only thing we had, with which he returned, to appear- 
ance, fully content and fatisfied. We now proceeded to- 
wards the camp, where we arrived about fun-fet. 
This was the greateft number of the natives we had ever 
feen together fince our coming among them. What could 
be the caufe of their alTembling in fuch numbers gave rife 
to a variety of conjedures. Some thought they were going 
to war among themfelves, as they had with them a tempo- 
rary ftore of half-ftinking fifh and fern-root, the latter of 
which they ufe for bread. This we remarked, as feveral 
of them were eating it at the time we were among them. 
Others 
