COASTS OP AUSTRALIA. 
257 
began to call out in loud shrill tones, when 1819. 
they were soon surrounded by twenty-five natives Aug. 5. 
who immediately commenced hallooing and shout- 
ing to us in a menacing way ; after some consul- 
tation, two of them advanced armed with spears ; 
upon which I ordered a musquet to be brought 
from the boat, which was concealed from their 
view by the bank of the river; seeing this the 
Indians stopped and retreated to their party, 
who immediately set up a yell of loud and angry 
cries accompanied with the most furious gesticu- 
lations. As the tide was still flowing, and I was 
not very anxious to communicate with these peo- 
ple, from whose neighbours at Goulburn Island 
we had already experienced much treachery, and 
who, if inclined to be quarrelsome, might, from 
the small breadth of the river, considerably an- 
noy and impede our farther progress, we reim- 
barked and proceeded up the river under the mo- 
mentary expectation of either seeing or hearing 
them at every bend and open bank ; we were not, 
however, molested; and, at sunset, as we had 
reached a considerable distance from their en- 
campment, and had not seen any alligators, we 
landed to pass the night upon the shore, and soon 
pitched our tent. We had, however, no sooner 
refreshed and composed ourselves to rest, than 
we were alarmed by a loud shout, and upon 
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