Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/120

 SURVEY '01 1'!- INTERTROPICAL .!als. end of the beach, oozing out from the base oftha h a pipe-day cliffs, which proved upon examination- 'to rield better water than the former, bsides being very much more convenient to obtain.' , Our woocling,party eommenoed operations' the day altar-we arrived and, 'on their returning on board at night, imprudently left their tools on i. shore.. The next day, whilst the people.were at dinner, ngaree, whose eyes were constantly dimeted'to'the shore,, espied five natives among the grass, which was so high as nearly to conceal them, walking towards our weeding, place; and, as they proceeded, it was perceived that they had stolen one of our station-fiags four of which had been. erected on the beach to mark the base line. On reaching the place where our people had been employed, three of' the natives began to throw down a pile of.wood that had been heaped up ready to embark, whilst the fourfix erept on his hands and knees towards the other station-flags, and .succeeded in carrying off two mre before he-was observed; but as he was on the point of taking the fourth he was de- tected, and two musquets were fired at him, upon 'which he fled into the weeds, followed by his corn, panions, carrying .,with them all our weeding tools., �

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