230 
English Company's Islands .] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
supposed he did not want appetite. I noticed this in silence till the 
whole were prepared, and then had him called up to take his portion 
of the mullet ; but it was with much difficulty that his modesty and 
foibearance could be overcome, for these qualities, so seldom ex- 
pected in a savage, formed leading features in the character of my 
humble friend. But there was one of the sailors also, who preferred 
hunger to ray-eating ! It might be supposed he had an eye to the 
mullet ; but this was not the case. He had been seven or eight 
ye^s with me, mostly in New South Wales, had learned many of 
the native habits, and even imbibed this ridiculous notion respecting 
ra y s and sharks ; though he could not allege, as Bongaree did, that 
“ the y mi g ht be ver y good for white men, but would kill him.” The 
mullet accordingly underwent a further division ; and Mr. Westall 
and myself, having no prejudice against rays, made up our propor- 
tion of this scanty repast from one of them. 
We rowed northward, round the west end of Inglis’ Island, 
leaving a hummocky isle and a sandy islet to the left ; but on coming 
to a low point with a small island near it, the rapidity of the flood 
tide was such, that we could not make head way, and were obliged 
to wait for high water. I took the opportunity to get another set 
of bearings, and then followed the example of the boats’ crew, who, 
not finding oysters or any thing to eat, had fallen asleep on the 
beach to forget the want of food. 
It was high water at eleven o’clock, and we then passed 
between the islet and sandy point, and across two rather deep bights 
m Ingbs’ Island ; and leaving three rocks and as many small islands 
on the left hand, entered the passage to the west of the ship, and 
got on board at two in the afternoon. 
Ibis island is twelve miles long, by a varying breadth of one 
to three miles. Its cliffs and productions are much the same as those 
of Cotton s Island ; but in the south-eastern part it is higher, and 
the size and foliage of the wood announced more fertility in the soil. 
I lie construction of my chart, and taking bearings from the 
1803. 
February. 
Friday 25. 
