These people exhibited more curiosity than I had before noticed in the Aborigines, as I was able to induce them to visit the whaleboat that was on shore close by.  Here, as in other places, the size of the oars first astonished them, and next the largeness of the boat itself.  The exclamations of surprise given vent to by the old man as he gazed on the workmanship of his civilized brethren, were amusing; suddenly a loud shout would burst from his lips, and then a low whistle.  I watched the rapid change of countenance in this wild savage with interest; all his motions were full of matter for observation.  The mixed curiosity and dread depicted in his dusky face, the feeling of secret alarm at this first rencontre with a white man intruding in his native wilds, which he must have experienced, added much to the zest of the scene.  I, however, at length almost persuaded the old man to accompany me on board; he even put one foot in the boat for the purpose, when seeing the depth of the interior, he recoiled with a slight shudder, as if from immersion in cold water.  He was now overwhelmed by the woman and elder child with entreaties not to take such a rash step, and their rude eloquence succeeded.

It was amusing to see the struggle between fear and curiosity plainly depicted in the man’s face, as he stood with one foot on the boat, and the other on the shore, hearkening but too credulously to the picture of danger, forcibly drawn by his friends, while curiosity, with almost equal strength, was urging him to dare the perils of the white man’s boat.

A desire to be better acquainted with the strangers who had come to the shores of his native land in a large bird—­such being their strange idea of a ship, the sails forming the wings—­no doubt materially influenced him; but the eloquence of his relatives prevailed over all; and this interesting interview terminated by our leaving the shore without our sable friend, who, however, promised to visit the ship in an old bark canoe, about 20 feet long, that was lying on the beach near at hand.  This promise was faithfully kept, for the same evening, a canoe was seen paddling off, containing two young natives in addition to the old man.  They stopped at some distance from the ship, moving round to view her on all sides.

ATTEMPT TO ENTICE NATIVES ON BOARD.

Fearing at last that their courage had failed, and that they would not come on board, the dinghy, our smallest boat, was sent towards them, there being only a boy besides myself in it.

I had hoped that thus they would not be frightened, but they instantly began to move towards the shore, and it required some manoeuvring to get near them; succeeding at length, however, I found my acquaintance of the morning anxious to go to the ship, a measure the other two did not at all approve of, as they kept edging away towards the land, whilst I gave the old man the presents I had brought him.  At one time the dinghy got between the canoe and the shore, when instantly a gleam of terror flashed across the faces of the young men.  One of them was a large square-headed fellow of ferocious aspect, whose countenance was lit up by a look of fierce revenge, as the canoe made towards the land, after I had ceased my endeavours to entice them on board.