DEPARTURE OF THE NATIVE^. 227 
&c. we occupied the best and most commanding 
station in the neighbourhood. The result of this 
movement was, that during the day the natives all 
left, and went in the direction of where the cutter 
was. I was not sorry for their departure ; for 
although they had been very friendly and useful to 
us, yet now that I contemplated keeping the party 
for a long time in camp, and should myself pro- 
bably be a considerable time absent, I was more 
satisfied at the idea of the natives being away, than 
otherwise ; not that I thought there was the least 
danger to be apprehended from them if they were 
properly treated ; but the time of my men would be 
much occupied in attending to the horses and sheep ; 
and they were too few in number, to admit of much 
of that time being taken up in watching the camp 
or the natives who might be near it ; for I always 
deemed it necessary, as a mere matter of pru- 
dence, to keep a strict look out when any natives 
were near us, however friendly they might profess 
to be. 
Upon walking round the shores of Fowler’s Bay, 
I found them literally strewed in all directions with 
the bones and carcases of whales, which had been 
taken here by the American ship I saw at Port Lin- 
coln, and had been washed on shore by the waves. 
To judge from the great number of these remains, of 
which very many were easily recognisable as being 
those of distinct animals, the American must have 
had a most fortunate and successful season. 
Q 2 
