With respect
to their size the young men were much the same as those of Sydney or
Jarvis Bay. They were not deficient in making out our signs, and we were
easy able to understand from their motions what they would be at. From
there being but little food for them on the beaches here, and their being
clothed in the skins of the oppossums, I presume they are Bush natives,
the women, I forgot to mention, appeared to be middling well shaped, and
good-looking children, they were, however, always at some distance.
"Mr. Bowen and the people having joined the boat came on board. Observed
all the remainder of the day they retired back into the woods and about 6
P.M. dous'd their fire at once although it must have covered an acre of
ground. At 4 A.M. a light wind sprung up at east, got our kedge hove
short, loosed sails and hove up - made sail for Elizabeth's Cove..."
"Tuesday, 5th January. Winds from south-east to east with cloudy weather.
At quarter past 1 P.M. Cape Shank bore north-east by north 9 miles. Kept
running down along the land steering west and west by north in order to
traverse the whole of this land, found it impossible to survey any part
of the coast as yet from the numerous native fires which covered this low
shore in one volume of smoke.
