Between the eighth and ninth mile
we ascended a small hill, whence we had a distant view from the south
round by the west to north, taking in that tract of country over which
we had passed.
Not a hill or eminence of any kind broke the dead level
surface of the country in those quarters; and the day was so clear, that
had any been within sixty or seventy miles they must have been seen.
From the east to the south was the lofty range before mentioned, and now
distant five or six miles: it was broken and rocky; iron bark trees were
however growing on the very summit. To the north-east and north our view
was not more than ten or eleven miles, being broken into low grassy
hills of pretty much the same elevation with that on which we stood. The
smoke of several natives' fires were seen in the range to the eastward,
and some to the north-west. Proceeding about four miles farther to the
eastward among those hills, we halted in a pretty valley, having a small
run of water in it falling northerly. We had just pitched our tent when
hearing the noise of the stone-hatchet made by a native in climbing a
tree, we stole silently upon him, and surprised him just as he was about
to descend: he did not perceive us until we were immediately under the
tree; his terror and astonishment were extreme. We used every friendly
motion in our power to induce him to descend, but in vain: he kept
calling loudly, as we supposed for some of his companions to come to his
assistance; in the mean time he threw down to us the game he had
procured (a ring-tailed opossum), making signs for us to take it up: in
a short time another native came towards us, when the other descended
from the tree. They trembled excessively, and, if the expression may be
used, were absolutely INTOXICATED with fear, displayed in a thousand
antic motions, convulsive laughing, and singular motions of the head.
They were both youths not exceeding twenty years of age, of good
countenance and figure, but most horribly marked by the skin and flesh
being raised in long stripes all over the back and body; some of those
stripes were full three-quarters of an inch deep, and were so close
together that scarcely any of the original skin was to be seen between
them. The man who had joined us, had three or four small opossums and a
snake, which he laid upon the ground, and offered us. We led them to our
tent, where their surprise at every thing they saw clearly showed that
we were the first white men they had met with; they had however either
heard of or seen tomahawks for upon giving one to one of them, he
clasped it to his breast and demonstrated the greatest pleasure.
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