Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/327

Rh himself a long way from any one else, met by accident with a very old man and woman and some children. They were sitting under a tree, and neither party saw the other till they were close together. They showed signs of fear, but did not attempt to run away. The midshipman had nothing about him to give them but some parrots which he had shot. These they refused, drawing away when he offered them, in token either of extreme fear or disgust. The people were very old and gray-headed, the children young. The hair of the man was bushy about his head, and his beard long and rough: the woman's hair was cropped short round her head. They were very dark-coloured, but not black, nor was their hair woolly.

On our return to the ship we found also that our second lieutenant, who had gone out striking, had met with great success. He had observed that the large sting-rays, of which there are abundance in the bay, followed the flowing tide into very shallow water; he therefore took the opportunity, and struck several in not more than two or three feet of water. One that was larger than the rest weighed, when his guts were taken out, 239 lbs.

Our surgeon, who strayed a long way from the others, with one man in his company, in coming out of a thicket observed six Indians standing about sixty yards from him. One of these gave a signal by a word, whereupon a lance was thrown out of the wood at him, which, however, did not come very near him. The six Indians, on seeing that it had not taken effect, ran away in an instant, but on turning about towards the place from whence the lance came, he saw a young lad, who had undoubtedly thrown it, come down from a tree where he had been stationed, probably for that purpose. He descended, however, and ran away so quickly that it was impossible even to attempt to pursue him.

6th. Went to sea this morning with a fair breeze of wind. The land we sailed past during the whole forenoon appeared broken and likely for harbours. We dined to-day upon a sting-ray weighing 336 lbs., which was caught yesterday,