10 
A VOYAGE TO 
[East Coast. 
1 J 8 ^* In order to give the botanists an opportunity of examining the 
Friday3o. productions of Sandy Cape, I determined to remain here a day ; and 
some natives being seen upon the beach, a boat was sent to com- 
mence an acquaintance with them ; they however retired, and suffered 
Saturday 3i. Mr. Brown to botanise without disturbance. Next morning the brig 
anchored within a quarter of a mile of the shore, to cover our landing 
parties ; and the armed boats being moored at grapnels, out of the 
reach of the natives, we separated into three divisions. The natura- 
list’s party, consisting of six persons, walked along the shore towards 
the upper part of the bay ; Mr. Murray and his people went to cut 
wood for fuel ; and the party with me, also of six persons, including 
my native friend Bongaree , went towards the extremity of Sandy Cape. 
Several Indians with branches of trees in their hands, were there* 
collected ; and whilst they retreated themselves, were waving to us 
to go back. Bongaree stripped off his clothes and laid aside his 
spear, as inducements for them to wait for him ; but finding they 
did not understand his language, the poor fellow, in the simplicity 
of bis heart, addressed them in broken English, hoping to succeed 
better. At length they suffered him to come up, and by degrees our 
whole party joined ; and after receiving some presents, twenty of 
them returned with us to the boats, and were feasted upon the 
blubber of two porpoises, which had been brought on shore pur- 
posely for them. At two o’clock the naturalists returned, bringing 
some of the scoop nets used by the natives in catching fish ; and we . 
then quitted our new friends, after presenting them with hatchets 
and other testimonials of our satisfaction. 
I hese people go entirely naked, and otherwise much resemble 
the inhabitants of Port Jackson in personal appearance ; but they 
were more fleshy, perhaps from being able to obtain a better supply 
of food with the scoop nets, which are not known on the southern * 
parts of the coast. I noticed in most of them a hard tumour on the 
outer knuckle of the wrist, which, if we understood them aright 
was caused by the stretcher of the scoop coming in contact with this 
