In Passing Along We Shot Some Ducks, Which Boladeree Refused To Swim For
When Requested, And Told Us In A
Surly tone that they swam for what was killed,
and had the trouble of fetching it ashore, only for the
White men to eat it.
This reproof was, I fear, too justly founded; for of the few ducks we had been
so fortunate as to procure, little had fallen to their share except the offals,
and now and then a half-picked bone. True, indeed, all the crows and hawks
which had been shot were given to them; but they plainly told us that
the taste of ducks was more agreeable to their palates, and begged they might
hereafter partake of them. We observed that they were thoroughly sick
of the journey, and wished heartily for its conclusion: the exclamation of
"Where's Rose Hill, where?" was incessantly repeated, with many inquiries
about when we should return to it.
Saturday April 16th, 1791. It was this morning resolved to abandon
our pursuit and to return home; at hearing of which our natives expressed
great joy. We started early; and reached Rose Hill about three o'clock,
just as a boat was about to be sent down to Sydney. Colbee and Boladeree
would not wait for us until the following morning, but insisted on going down
immediately to communicate to Baneelon and the rest of their countrymen
the novelties they had seen.
The country we passed through was, for the most part, very indifferent,
according to our universal opinion.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 147 of 247
Words from 39658 to 39913
of 66960
