Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/319

 COASTS O AVSTRALA. 257 began 'to call 'out in '. loud' shrill tones, when 1819. they were'soon surrounded by twenty-five natives Aug. . who immediately commenced hallooing and shout-. ing to us in a menacing.way; after'some'consul- tation, two ofthem.advanced armed with spears; upon which I ordered 'a musquet to be brought from the'boat, which was Concealed from their view by the bank of the river; seeing this the Indians stopped and retreated 'to their party, who immediately set up a yell of loud and angry cries accompanied with the most furious gesticu- lations. As the 'tide' was still flowing, and I was not very anxious to communicate with these peo- ple, from whose' neighbouts at Goulburn Island we had already experienced much treachery, and who, if inclined to be quarrelsome, might, from the sm,*]! breadth of the river, considerably an, noy and impede our farther progress, we reim-' barked and proceeded up the river under the mo- mentary expectation of either seeing or hearing them at every'bend and open bank; we were not, however, molested; and, at sunset, as we had reached a considerable distance from their en- campment, and had not seen any alligators, we landed to pass the night upon the shore, and soon pitched our tent. We had, however, no sooner refreshed and composed ourselves to'rest, than we were alarmed by a loud' shout, and upon �os,. I. S

�