COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
47 
and when they recovered their fright, they were 1818 . 
highly amused with his swimming after some Feb. 27. 
pieces of wood that were thrown into the water. 
Boongaree was of course the object of their 
greatest attention : the fashion in which his body 
was scarred was the subject of particular remark ; 
and when he pointed at the sea, to shew them 
whence he came, they set up a shout of admi- 
ration and surprise. 
We now took leave of these friendly Indians, 
and went through the ceremony of shaking each 
other by the hand, a mode of taking leave they 
appeared perfectly to understand. No women 
made their appearance, but there was every rea- 
son to believe that they were close at hand, for 
several natives were seen from the cutter con- 
cealed close to us, armed with spears ready 
to repel any attack we might have made, and to 
defend the women and children of their tribe. 
The boat was then steered towards the island 
to which the natives had directed us ; but as we 
pulled along its shore in search of a landing-place, 
a party of twenty or thirty Indians were observed 
descending the rocky hills towards the beach, 
with an evident intention of preventing our going 
ashore ; and upon our pulling into a small bight, 
where there was some appearance of a stream of 
water, they threatened us with spears and stones ; 
