Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/281

 COASTS O urAa. 219 �vicinity of the tent. We saw no natives until 'Islg. Sunday the 4th, when two, whose faces were not familiar to ui, came down to the end of the dry sand opposite the cutter. and beckoned for us: .they had paddled across from the mangroves at . the back of the port to the low sandy point that forms the west end of the long north sandy beach, beh/nd which they had lef their canoe. Mr. 'Bedwell was sent to them in our largest boat, but on his approaching them, and bein within ten yards of the beach, they started and ran off with considerable speed towards their canoe. When about half way to it they stopped, and, 'upon looking back and observing that they were 'not pursued, beckoned again, Upon seeing this mancsuwe, it was suspected that they might have a strong party concealed at the back of the point, to which they were anxious to decoy our people; �the boat was therefore called alongside, and armed, and again sent after them. By this t/me they had embarked in their canoe, and were paddling with all their strength towards the man- groves on the opposite shore, pursued by our boat until it was stopped by the shoals in the river; the natives, however, easily shoved their canoe over it with poles, and soon arrived at the opposite bank where they were met by several 'other natives, all of whom immediately retired Digitized y Goog[e

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