Among
them we picked up part of a human skull - the os frontis with the sockets
of the eyes and part of the bones of the nose still attached to it. A
little distance from where we found this we discovered a part of the
upper jaw with one of the molars or back teeth in it, also one of the
vertebrae of the back having marks of fire which the others had not.
"The grass was much trodden down, and many of the bones of the animals
eaten appeared fresh...I brought off the human bones and on getting on
board showed them to Euranabie. Finding two of the natives from the shore
in the vessel, I desired him to ask them whether these bones belonged to
a white man or not, and if they had killed and eaten him. I was anxious
to have this cleared up, as the ship Sydney Cove from India to Port
Jackson had been wrecked about twelve months before to the southward and
it was reported that some of the crew were killed by the natives near
this place."* (* The Sydney Cove from Bengal to New South Wales was
wrecked on Preservation Island, Tasmania, on 8th February, 1797. Her
long-boat was equipped and despatched on 27th February to Sydney, but the
boat filled and went to pieces at a spot called Ninety Mile beach. Out of
the crew of seventeen, who started to walk to Port Jackson, only three
lived to reach their destination - some dying of fatigue and hunger, the
others were murdered by the natives.)
Euranabie, who spoke English, made inquiries, and a soldier who
understood the Sydney dialect, also endeavoured to extract the truth
regarding the bones, from the two black fellows, who said that they were
those of a white man that had come in a canoe from the southward where
the ship "tumble down," meaning that it had been wrecked. Lieutenant
Grant also questioned Worogan, and was informed that "the bush natives
(who appeared to be a different tribe of people from those that lived by
the seaside) did eat human flesh."
He now prepared to leave the port. "On the 12th, we got into a clean
berth for getting under weigh, but in the morning the wind being variable
and light we were prevented sailing. I went on shore with Mr. Barrallier
to make a survey of the cove we were lying in. When preparing to return
to the vessel we were joined by several natives who appeared anxious to
go on board with us. Two of these were strangers who signified that they
had come a long way to see us and that they were very hungry. They were
both young, stout men with longer hair than the natives generally.
"In the afternoon...it was needless to attempt sailing till the wind
abated.
