in the entrance of Oyster Harbour would be on all accounts more convenient for our purposes, I determined upon going thither. By this time the natives had reached that part of the beach where the boat was lying, and were wading through the water towards us; but as we had no wish at present to communicate with them, for fear that, by refusing anything we had in the boat, for which their importunity would perhaps be very great, a quarrel might be occasioned, we pulled off into deeper water where we remained for five minutes parleying with them, during which they plainly expressed their disappointment and mortification at our want of confidence. Upon making signs for fresh water, which they instantly understood, they called out to us "badoo, badoo," and pointed to a part of the bay where Captain Flinders has marked a rivulet. Badoo, in the Port Jackson language, means water; it was thought probable that they must have obtained it from some late visitors; and in this opinion we were confirmed, for the word kangaroo was also familiar to them.* (*Footnote. The San Antonio, merchant brig, the vessel that joined our company during our passage up the east coast, visited this port in December 1820 and communicated with the natives; it is therefore probable that the above words were obtained from that vessel's crew.) Upon our return towards the entrance the natives walked upon the beach abreast the boat, and kept with her until we pulled out of the entrance, when they resumed their former station upon the rocks and we returned on board.