Before dark the canoe was hoisted up to the stern, and our other boats were secured under it; notwithstanding which the natives swam off, and, when everything was quiet, cut the whale boat's moorings, without being detected, and swam away with her in tow; it was, however, discovered in time, and the boat recovered before the tide had drifted her out of sight. March 30. Early the next morning the cutter was removed nearer to the watering-place that Boongaree had found, and in doing this we were watched by ten or twelve natives, who were standing as they thought concealed among the trees. This afforded us so good an opportunity of expressing our anger at their attempt to steal our boat, and of showing them that we were not Malays, that we fired a shot from a six-pounder carronade over their heads, the report of which for a moment scared them; but their alarm was only momentary, for they soon afterwards recovered from their fright and continued to watch us as before. As soon as the vessel was secured, our watering party commenced their operations, and had been employed for half an hour without interruption, when the natives suddenly appeared on the brink of the cliff that overhung the beach, and threw several large stones at our people, which slightly wounded three of them, before the muskets could be fired, upon which the Indians retreated into the woods. The attack having been observed from the vessel, the jolly-boat was dispatched to the shore with assistance, and with orders to Mr. Bedwell to keep the whale-boat moored at about fifteen or twenty yards from the beach with muskets ready to fire, so that with this protection the watering-party were enabled to continue their task without molestation. In the course of the day the natives collected again behind the trees, and were at one time advancing towards the cliffs, but being seen from the cutter a shot was fired over their heads, which deterred them from coming forward. This hostile conduct of the natives induced me to give up our intention of wooding at this island; since the Indians might easily advance under cover of the thick underwood, and throw their spears before we could be aware of their approach. As soon, therefore, as our watering was completed, I determined upon procuring our fuel from an island to the northward, which, during our visit, we had seen from the North-West point of the bay, and which, together with the one we were at, were called Goulburn Islands, in compliment to the then Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies. 1818. April 1 to 4.