208 
A VOYAGE TO 
[Norik Coast 
1803 . morning two of them advanced, bringing some small fruits; and on 
Monday 7. being invited to eat fish, they sat down and were immediately seized, 
some others who followed, running away on hearing their cries. In 
a little time the eldest and most intelligent of them was liberated ; 
on his promising by signs to restore the axe, and being made to 
understand that his companion would be carried off, should he fail. 
We observed from the ship much running of the natives amongst 
the bushes, and peeping about the tents ; and least they should 
attempt any mischief, a spring was put upon the cable, and a six- 
pounder, with grape shot, kept ready ; but after one of the prisoners 
was released they seemed to have less anxiety, and several swam 
back across a salt creek, to their usual place of residence. 
In the evening I landed at the tents ; and taking the native, a 
youth of fourteen named W oga, into the boat, rowed to the place 
most frequented by the Indians, many of whom were seen behind 
the bushes. Two came forward, bringing a young girl in their 
arms; and by expressive signs they offered her to Bongaree, in 
order to entice him on shore, for the purpose, apparently, of seizing 
him by way of retaliation. We demanded the restoration of the axe, 
and our prisoner seemed to use all his powers to enforce it ; but the 
constant answer was, that the thief Yehangeree, had been beaten and 
was gone away ; and finding no axe likely to be brought, W oga 
was carried on board the ship, through a great deal of crying, in- 
treating, threatening, and struggling on his part. He there ate 
heartily, laughed, sometimes cried, and noticed every thing ; fre- 
quently expressing admiration at what he saw, and especially at the 
sheep, hogs, and cats. We had not seen any bows and arrows in 
the Gulph of Carpentaria, nor in any part of Terra Australis ; but 
some of those from Murray’s Islands being shown to Woga, he 
knew the use of them, and gave their names in his language; it may 
therefore be true, as Burgomaster Witsen relates, that they are used 
by the natives on the North-west Coast and in the Gulph; but when 
he describes the bows as being “ of such a length, that one end rest* 
