Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/420

 358 with a looking.glass. in which they were, for the first time, witnesses of their hideous countenances, which were rendered still more savage from the ill-humour they were in. They now became openly angry; and, in very unequivocal terms, ordered us away. Fortunately, the Indian that carried the spear was the least ill-tempered of the party, or we should not perhaps have retreated without being under the necessity of firing in self-defence.

We retired, however, without any farmer rupture, and left them seated on the bank, whence they continued to watch our movements until the boat was loaded and we left the shore. They then came down to the beach, and searched about for whatever things We might accidentally have left behind; and, after examining with great attention some marks that, for amusement, some of our party had scratched upon the sand, they separated. The old man and the two boys embarked in a canoe, and paddled round the point towards the Cape, in which direction also the other two natives bent their steps.

The tall, slender form of the Port Jackson natives, and their other peculiarities of long curly hair, large heads, and spare limbs; are equally developed in the inhabitants of this part. The bodies of these people are, however,