An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2: An Account Of The English Colony In New South Wales, From Its First Settlement In 1788, To August 1801: With Remarks On The Dispositions, Customs, Manners, Etc. Of The Native Inhabitants Of That Country. To Which Are Added, Some Particulars Of New Zealand; Compiled, By Permission, From The Mss. Of Lieutenant-Governor King; And An Account Of The Voyage Performed By Captain Flinders And Mr. Bass.Collins, David
History
An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2: An Account Of The English Colony In New South Wales, From Its First Settlement In 1788, To August 1801: With Remarks On The Dispositions, Customs, Manners, Etc. Of The Native Inhabitants Of That Country. To Which Are Added, Some Particulars Of New Zealand; Compiled, By Permission, From The Mss. Of Lieutenant-Governor King; And An Account Of The Voyage Performed By Captain Flinders And Mr. Bass.
Collins, David
New South Wales -- Description and travel
In returning down the river, they were called to by a man on the west
side, who had a spear in his hand; but two women and several children
being behind argued rather against any premeditated hostility. The women
and children retired on their approaching the shore; but they were
observed to be peeping at them from behind the bushes. This man made
great exclamations for the musket to be laid down, calling out 'woo-rah,
woo-rah,' as others had done, and seemed pleased when it was complied
with; but he could not have heard many particulars of their weapons, for,
on pointing a musket toward him to try the experiment, he did not appear
to be sensible of the danger to himself in that case. As he did not
choose to quit his spear, and the sun was descending, they did not land,
but backed in near enough to throw him a yarn stocking, which they showed
him was to be worn as a cap with a tail to it, and then parted good
friends.
Monday the 22nd was passed in getting the sloop into the river, which
with some difficulty was accomplished, having to find out a channel
through an infinity of shoals, some of which were covered with mangroves.
Finding a proper place to lay the sloop on shore, Mr. Flinders took the
necessary measures; and on Thursday the 25th, having completely stopped
the leak, by filling up the seam with oakum, nailing the plank to afresh,
and covering the whole with tarred canvas and sheet lead, he re-stowed
his vessel, which had been cleared of every thing, a few tons of ballast
excepted, and was again in a condition to prosecute his intended
excursion to the Glass-House peaks.
In a spare interval of a few hours before high water, (the day he laid
the sloop ashore) he attempted to get some swans, but met with none that
could not fly. He saw several large fish, or animals that came up to the
surface of the water to blow, in the manner of a porpoise, or rather of a
seal, for they did not spout, nor had they any dorsal fin. The head also
strongly resembled the bluff-nosed hair seal, but their size was greater
than any which Mr. Flinders had seen before. He fired three musket balls
into one, and Bong-ree threw a spear into another; but they sunk, and
were not seen again. These animals, which perhaps might be sea lions,
were not observed any where but in this river.
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