the
ship.

(*Footnote. This signal was always made when natives were seen from the
ship, if any parties were away.)

January 27.

A strong party was sent on shore, early this morning, with the necessary
tools for digging a well, should the search for water upon the surface
prove abortive. It was at once found that this operation ought forthwith
to be commenced, and accordingly a promising spot was selected in a
valley not half a mile from the sea. The natives mustered again in force
upon the heights, and seemed to watch our proceedings with the greatest
interest: we saw nothing of them the following day, but on the third they
seemed so much emboldened by our inoffensive proceedings, that they
approached so near as to keep the party pretty much upon the alert.

FIRE A CONGREVE ROCKET.

It was, therefore, determined, lest familiarity should breed contempt, to
give them a hint of our superiority without inflicting any injury upon
their persons or property; and, accordingly, shortly after dark we fired
a Congreve rocket from the ship, and in a direction immediately over
their presumed position: this had the desired effect, and our
well-digging operations, though ultimately unsuccessful, proceeded
without further annoyance.

CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES.

Two or three days afterwards a small party came down upon the beach while
we were hauling the seine; and tempted by the offer of some fish--for an
Australian savage is easily won by him who comes with things that do show
so fair as delicacies in the gastronomic department--they approached us,
and were very friendly in their manner, though they cunningly contrived
always to keep the upper or inland side of the beach. We made them some
presents of beads, etc. from the stores supplied by the Admiralty for
that purpose, but they received them with an indifference almost
amounting to apathy. They very closely examined the heroic Miago, who
submitted to be handled by these much-dreaded Northern men with a very
rueful countenance, and afterwards construed the way in which one of them
had gently stroked his beard, into an attempt to take him by the throat
and strangle him! an injury and indignity which, when safe on board, he
resented by repeated threats, uttered in a sort of wild chant, of
spearing their thighs, backs, loins, and, indeed, each individual portion
of the frame.

PLAGUE OF FLIES.

Their habit of keeping the eyes almost closed, and the head thrown back,
in ord