Dr. Harris And Mr. Evans Had
Gone To Bathe Near The Point, And Within One Hundred And Fifty Yards
Of The Tent.
Mr. Evans had already bathed and had began to dress
himself, when four natives, whom we recognised as being among those
whom we had treated so kindly yesterday, made their appearance with
their spears in their hands, in the attitude of throwing them from
the cliffs above.
There was scarcely time to parley with them, when
a spear was thrown at Mr. Evans, Dr. Harris having leaped down the
rock into the sea, and escaped to the tent under its shelter. The
spear fortunately missed Mr. Evans, and he likewise escaped with the
loss of his clothes, by following the doctor's example. On the alarm
being given they were pursued, but they had disappeared among the
brush on the hill. This instance of their treachery redoubled our
circumspection, and our situation here being favourable for their
attacks, I determined to pass over the brow of the hill with the
horses - a road which from its extreme steepness, I had been willing
to avoid by waiting for the tide; and orders were given to collect
the horses and proceed on our route. Whilst this was doing, and as
I was sitting in the tent with Dr. Harris and Mr. Evans writing
this Journal, a shower of spears from the height above was thrown at the
tent, one of which passed directly over my shoulder, and entered the
ground at my feet: the others lodged around the tent, and among the
people who were getting ready the baggage, but providentially without
doing any harm. We had stationed men to watch the hill, but the
appearance of the natives and the flight of their spears was so
instantaneous, that they had not time to alarm us. To enable us therefore
to proceed in safety it was necessary to clear the hill, which was soon
done; for on our ascending that hill, they took their station on another
more distant. We travelled unmolested along the beach for upwards of
twelve miles, when we halted for the evening on a small point of clear
land, which at high water was an island. Here we found ourselves secure:
we had however but just unladen, when three natives were seen coming
along the beach from the side of Port Stephens. We knew that the party
which had behaved so treacherously had gone that way, and we suspected
that these men were sent to see whether we were disposed to resent their
conduct: they appeared unarmed, each holding up a fish as a peace
offering to us: but when they were within three hundred yards of us, they
stopped, and not receiving any encouragement from us to advance,
after halting a few minutes, they returned with all speed along
the beach to their companions. I had determined if they had approached
nearer to have made an example of them: and for the future, never to
suffer them to come near us at all.
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