i6 
SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 
is not lengthy, and is of such deep interest to all Australians, and 
^particularly New South Welshmen, that I venture to transcribe it : — 
2Hth. An opening ap])earing like a harbour was seen, and we stood directly in. 
for it: a small smoke arising from a very barren place directed our. glasses that 
way, and we soon saw ten ])eople, who, on our a])proach, left the fire and retired 
to a little eminence, whence they could conveniently see the ship. Soon after 
this, two canoes carrying two men each landed on the beach under them ; the 
men hauled up their boats, and went to their fellows upon the hill. Our boat, 
which had been sent ahead to sound, now ajiproached the ])lace, and they all 
retired higher u]) the hill. We saw, however, tliat at the beach or landing-place 
one man at least was hidden among some rocks, and never, as far as we could see, 
left that place. Our boat proceeded along shore, and the Indians followed her 
at a distance; when she came back the officer who was in her told me that in a 
cove, a little within the harbour, they came down to the beach and invited our 
people to land, by many signs and words which he did not at all understand. .\11, 
however, were armed with long jiikes and a wooden weapon masle like a short 
scimitar (boomerang). During this time, a few of the Indians who had not followed 
the boat remained on the rocks o|)])osite the ship, threatening and menacing with 
their j)ikes and swords; two in |)articular, who were painted with white, their 
faces seemingly only dusted over with it, their bodies painted with broad strokes 
drawn over their breasts and backs, resembling much a soldier’s crossbelt, and 
their legs and thighs also with broad strokes drawn round them, like broad garters 
or bracelets. Each of these held in his hand a wooden wea))on about 2i feet long, 
in sha|)e much resembling a scimitar [a boomerang, the blades of these 
No. 14 . — Cook and Banks first setting foot ashore at Botany Bay' 
(Original by Emanuel Philli)is Eon.) 
