An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk IslandHunter, John
History
An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island
Hunter, John
New South Wales -- History -- Sources
he was alive, we soothed her distress a little, and the sailors
were immediately ordered to bring up some fire, which we placed
before her: we pulled some grass, dried it by the fire, and
spread round her to keep her warm; then we shot some birds, such
as hawks, crows, and gulls, skinned them, and laid them on the
fire to broil, together with some fish, which she eat; we then
gave her water, of which she seemed to be much in want, for when
the word _Baa-do_ was mentioned, which was their expression
for water, she put her tongue out to show how very dry her mouth
was; and indeed from its appearance and colour, she had a
considerable degree of fever on her.
Before we retired to rest for the night, we saw her again, and
got some fire-wood laid within her reach, with which she might,
in the course of the night, recruit her fire; we also cut a large
quantity of grass, dried it, covered her well, and left her to
her repose, which, from her situation, I conjecture was not very
comfortable or refreshing.
Next morning we visited her again; she had now got pretty much
the better of her fears, and frequently called to her friends,
who had left her, and who, we knew, could be at no great distance
from her; she repeated their names in a very loud and shrill
voice, and with much apparent anxiety and concern for the little
notice they took of her intreaties to return: for we imagined, in
all she said when calling on them, she was informing them, that
the strangers were not enemies, but friends; however, all her
endeavours to bring them back were ineffectual, while we remained
with her; but we were no sooner gone from the beach, than we saw
some of them come out of the wood; and as there were two canoes
on the shore belonging to this party, they launched one into the
water, and went away.
We employed this day in going up the south branch which the
governor named Pitt Water, and so much of the day was spent in
examining it, that when we returned down near the place where we
had passed the last night, it was thought too late to proceed
farther; we therefore encamped on the same spot. Our tents were
no sooner up, than we went to visit our young female friend, whom
we found in a little bark hut upon the beach; this hut was the
place in which she and her friends were enjoying themselves, when
the arrival of our boat alarmed them. She was not alone, as
before, but had with her a female child, about two years old, and
as fine a little infant of that age as I ever saw; but upon our
approach (the night being cold and rainy, and the child terrified
exceedingly) she was lying with her elbows and knees on the
ground, covering the child from our sight with her body, or
probably sheltering it from the weather, but I rather think on
account of its fears.
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