They were all clothed with the skins of oppossums as far as their
middle, and this old man seemed to have command over the others.
As Mr.
Bowen advanced they all pulled off their dress and made signs to the
officer that before he came any nearer he must do the same; this was
immediately complied with.
"They then all sat down again and Mr. Bowen, plucking a root of fern,
advanced pretty close to them holding it up; they seemed to understand it
as it was meant. When he got within a few yards of this party the old man
seemed rather uneasy and began to handle his spears. Mr. Bowen then threw
them a tomahawk, and one of the young men picked it up; on Mr. Bowen
beckoning them to sit down, he doing the same, they again threw him back
the tomahawk, and all except the old man sat down. Mr. Bowen then broke a
piece of stick and cut it with the tomahawk and tyed a handkerchief to it
and again reached it to them; on this, one of the young men ventured to
reach his hand and take it out of the officer's but would by no means be
so familiar as to shake hands. Mr. Bowen then ate some bread and then
gave them some which they did not eat, but carefully laid it by under
some fern roots or leaves; on getting some ducks they took no other
notice of them than to examine in what manner they were killed, what
their ideas on that head were we know not as they did not take the least
notice of our firearms even when, towards the latter end of the parley,
it was found necessary to point one at the breast of the old man who all
along was very suspicious of our designs.
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