Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822King, Philip Parker
History
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822
King, Philip Parker
Australia -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Australia
(*Footnote. A very good idea may be obtained of the manner in which these
taaps are used, by referring to Captain Lyon's drawing of the Esquimaux
sledges at page 290 of Parry's Second Voyage: the natives of King
George's Sound however hold the knife underhanded, and cut upwards.)
We did not perceive that these people acknowledged any chief or superior
among them; the two parties that collected daily on the opposite sides of
the harbour evidently belonged to the same tribe for they occasionally
mixed with each other. Their habitations were probably scattered about in
different parts for when the natives went away for the night they
separated into several groups, not more than three or four going
together, and these generally returned in company the next morning by the
same path which they had taken when they left us: they also arrived at
different times and some evidently came from a distance greater than
others, for they were later in arriving and always took their leave at an
earlier hour.
With the exception of one or two petty thefts besides the one
above-mentioned of which serious notice was taken, and an attempt to
steal a hat from one of the boys when he was by himself on the Oyster
Bank, our communication with these people was carried on in the most
friendly manner. Mr. Cunningham was, to their knowledge, on shore every
day attended only by his servant, but none, excepting Jack, followed him
after they had ascertained the intention of his walk, and observed the
care that he took to avoid going near their habitations, for which they
evinced a great dislike; one of their encampments was about a mile and a
half off but, curious as we naturally were to witness their mode of
living and to see the females and children of their tribe, we never
succeeded in persuading them to allow us to gratify our curiosity. On one
occasion it was necessary to lay a kedge anchor out in the direction of
their dwelling-place, and upon the boat's crew landing and carrying it
along the beach, the natives followed and intimated by signs that we
should not go that way; as soon however as the anchor was fixed and they
understood our intention, they assisted the people in carrying the hawser
to make fast to it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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