They had with them three small-sized dogs of a light brown colour, of which they appeared very fond, and I could not induce them to part with them. The old man's spear was not barbed, and the womera or throwing stick of the same long narrow shape as at Port Essington. The woman had also the same bottle-shaped basket slung over her neck, as before remarked, and containing white and red earths for painting their bodies. CURIOSITY AND FEAR. These people exhibited more curiosity than I had before noticed in the Aborigines, as I was able to induce them to visit the whaleboat that was on shore close by. Here, as in other places, the size of the oars first astonished them, and next the largeness of the boat itself. The exclamations of surprise given vent to by the old man as he gazed on the workmanship of his civilized brethren, were amusing; suddenly a loud shout would burst from his lips, and then a low whistle. I watched the rapid change of countenance in this wild savage with interest; all his motions were full of matter for observation. The mixed curiosity and dread depicted in his dusky face, the feeling of secret alarm at this first rencontre with a white man intruding in his native wilds, which he must have experienced, added much to the zest of the scene. I, however, at length almost persuaded the old man to accompany me on board; he even put one foot in the boat for the purpose, when seeing the depth of the interior, he recoiled with a slight shudder, as if from immersion in cold water. He was now overwhelmed by the woman and elder child with entreaties not to take such a rash step, and their rude eloquence succeeded. It was amusing to see the struggle between fear and curiosity plainly depicted in the man's face, as he stood with one foot on the boat, and the other on the shore, hearkening but too credulously to the picture of danger, forcibly drawn by his friends, while curiosity, with almost equal strength, was urging him to dare the perils of the white man's boat. A desire to be better acquainted with the strangers who had come to the shores of his native land in a large bird--such being their strange idea of a ship, the sails forming the wings--no doubt materially influenced him; but the eloquence of his relatives prevailed over all; and this interesting interview terminated by our leaving the shore without our sable friend, who, however, promised to visit the ship in an old bark canoe, about 20 feet long, that was lying on the beach near at hand. This promise was faithfully kept, for the same evening, a canoe was seen paddling off, containing two young natives in addition to the old man. They stopped at some distance from the ship, moving round to view her on all sides. ATTEMPT TO ENTICE NATIVES ON BOARD. Fearing at last that their courage had failed, and that they would not come on board, the dinghy, our smallest boat, was sent towards them, there being only a boy besides myself in it.