[*It Had Long Been Our Wish To Establish A Commerce Of This Sort.
It is
a painful consideration, that every previous addition to the cabinet of the
virtuosi, from this country, had wrung a tear from the plundered Indian.]
October, 1790. Many of them now consented to be shaved by a barber
whom we had purposely brought over. As I thought he who could perform
an operation of such importance must be deemed by them an eminent personage,
I bade him ask one of them for a fine barbed spear which he held in his hand;
but all the barber's eloquence was wasted on the Indian, who plainly
gave him to understand that he meant not to part with his spear,
without receiving an equivalent. Unfortunately, his price was a hatchet,
and the only one which I had brought with me was already disposed of
to the man who had pointed my spear. In vain did I tempt him with a knife,
a handkerchief, and a hat; nothing but a hatchet seemed to be regarded.
'Bulla mogo parrabugo' (two hatchets to-morrow) I repeatedly cried; but having
probably experienced our insincerity, he rejected the proposal with disdain.
Finding him inflexible, and longing to possess the spear, I told him
at length that I would go to Sydney and fetch what he required. This seemed
to satisfy, and he accompanied me to my boat, in which I went away,
and as quickly as possible procured what was necessary to conclude the bargain.
On my return, I was surprised to see all our boats rowing towards home,
and with them a canoe, in which sat two Indians paddling.
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