Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/416

 354 of the reverse, our situation must have been attended with more serious damage, if not our total loss; and therefore, comforted by an ideal security, we consoled ourselves under our comparatively good fortune.

The next day was spent in watering, getting provisions to hand in the hold and refitting some temporary damage to the rigging. Mr. Hunter and Mr. Cunningham ranged about the vicinity of the shore whilst Mr. Roe, with a boat's crew, was employed in filling our empty water-casks from a gully at the back of the beach.

Soon after the watering-party commenced their work, some shrill voices were heard near them among the trees: in a short time two natives made their appearance, and were easily persuaded to approach. They were unarmed, and communicated with confidence and apparently were disposed to be friendly; one of them gave Mr. Roe a fishing-line spun and twisted of strips of bark, to the end of which was attached a hook made from a turtle-shell.

Our gentlemen revisited the shore in the afternoon, but without seeing the natives. In wandering about, they discovered some stumps of trees close to the beach, that bore marks of having been felled with a sharp instrument; and near some huts they found several strips of