Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/418

 356 boys each carried a short branch of a tree in their hands: they met us half way, and allowed us to approach with our muskets, a circumstance which dispelled all suspicion of any unfriendly feeling towards us; nor do I think any did exist when we first met.

In order to divert them and obtain as much information as we could, whilst the boat's crew were filling the water-casks, we seated ourselves on the grass, and commenced a conversation that was perfectly unintelligible to each other, accompanied with the most ridiculous gestures, a species of buffoonery that is always acceptable to the natives of this part of the world, and on more than one occasion has been particularly useful to us. An attempt was made to procure a vocabulary of their language, but without success, for we were soon obliged from their impatience to give it up. Not so easily, however, were they diverted from their object, for every article of our dress, and every thing we carried, they asked for with the greatest importunity; our refusal disappointed them so much, that they could not avoid shewing the hostile feelings they had evidently begun to entertain towards us. Seeing this, I took an opportunity of convincing them of our power, and, after some difficulty, persuaded the native that carried the spear to