Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/365

 OF SYDNEY COVE. 253 men. Hunter's account of the matter brings Phillip per- 1798 sonally on the scene* : — Information was immediately brought to the Governor, and we all went to see this unhappy girl, whom we found just recovered poniita. from the small-pox, and lame : she appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years of age, and had covered her debilitated and naked body with wet grass, having no other means of hiding herself; she was very much frightened on our approaching her, and shed many tears, with piteous lamentations. We understood none of her expressions, but felt much concern at the distress she seemed to suffer; we endeavoured all in our power to make her easy, and one touch with the assistance of a few expressions which had been collected ^ ^ ^^* from poor Arabanoo while 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 makes the very dry her mouth was ; and indeed from her appearance and wn. 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 course of Uie 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 and refreshing. Phillip and his men spent the following day in exploring Pittwater ; but on their return in the evening, they lost no time in looking after the poor girl they had left. Hunter goes on to say : — Our tents were no sooner up than we went to visit our young Another 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 ever I saw; but Digitized byCjOOQlC
 * Journal, p. 139.