Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 2.djvu/54

 Ors.OP Vglt 37 sand shewed they were not far off; but on the I. evening of tho ?th, the surgeon, accomed..by Dr. Armstrong of the Dick, landed in that ves. sel's gig, and, whilst amusing themselves among the trees, and the boat's crew incautiously wan- dering away from the boat, the natives came clown, and would have carried off all the boat's furniture, and every thing in her, had they not been distur by the return of one of the sailors with a musquet. They succeeded, however, in making a prize of a new boat.cloak, and the hoar.hook, and one of them had nearly succeeded in carrying off an oar, but upon being fired at, dropped his booty and scampered off.. This trifling loss was deservedly sustained. by our gentlemen, for they were well aware how sud- denly the natives have always appeared, and how mischievously they had on those occasions conducted themselves: they were also cautioned, when they went on shore to be upon their guard, and it was .fortunate for them.that nothing more serious occurred. At daylight, the $th, the San Antonio rejoined & us from Sims Island, and at eleven o'clock we lett the bay, and passed to the eastward of New Year's Island: the Dick and ourselves then steered to the westward along the coast, while the San Antonio steered a north-west course, and o,g,,,zed by Goog|�

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