The Banks
Are About Twenty Feet High And Covered With Trees, Many Of Which Had Been
Evidently Bent By The
Force of the current in the direction which it runs,
and some of them contained rubbish and drift wood in
Their branches
at least forty-five feet above the level of the stream. We saw many ducks,
and killed one, which Colbee swam for. No new production among the shrubs
growing here was found. We were acquainted with them all. Our natives
had evidently never seen this river before. They stared at it with surprise,
and talked to each other. Their total ignorance of the country, and of
the direction in which they had walked, appeared when they were asked
which way Rose Hill lay; for they pointed almost oppositely to it.
Of our compass they had taken early notice, and had talked much to each other
about it. They comprehended its use, and called it 'naamoro,' literally,
"to see the way"; a more significant or expressive term cannot be found.
Supposing ourselves to be higher on the stream than Richmond Hill, we agreed
to trace downward, or to the right hand. In tracing, we kept as close
to the bank of the river as the innumerable impediments to walking which grow
upon it would allow. We found the country low and swampy; came to a native
fireplace, at which were some small fish-bones; soon after we saw a native,
but he ran away immediately. Having walked nearly three miles we were stopped
by a creek which we could neither ford, or fall a tree across. We were
therefore obliged to coast it, in hope to find a passing place or to reach
its head. At four o'clock we halted for the night on the bank of the creek.
Our natives continued to hold out stoutly. The hindrances to walking
by the river side which plagued and entangled us so much, seemed not to be
heeded by them, and they wound through them with case; but to us they were
intolerably tiresome. Our perplexities afforded them an inexhaustible fund
of merriment and derision: Did the sufferer, stung at once with nettles
and ridicule, and shaken nigh to death by his fall, use any angry expression
to them, they retorted in a moment, by calling him by every opprobrious name*
which their language affords.
Boladeree destroyed a native hut today very wantonly before we could
prevent him. On being asked why he did so, he answered that the inhabitants
inland were bad; though no longer since than last night, when Bereewan
had departed, they were loud in their praise. But now they had reverted to
their first opinion; so fickle and transient are their motives of love
and hatred.
[*Their general favourite term of reproach is 'goninpatta', which signifies
'an eater of human excrement'. Our language would admit a very concise
and familiar translation. They have, besides this, innumerable others
which they often salute their enemies with.]
Wednesday, April 13th, 1791.
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