While he was making this attempt, another spear was thrown out of the wood, and took off the skin between Mr. Waterhouse’s fore-finger and thumb, which alarmed him a good deal, and he thinks added power to his exertions, for the next attempt, he broke it off.  By this time, the spears flew pretty thick, one of which he observed to fall at Captain Collins’s feet, while he was calling to the boat’s crew:  the governor attempted to pull a pistol out of his pocket, but the spears flew so thick, that it was unsafe to stop:  however he got it out and fired it, upon a supposition, that their knowing he had some fire-arms would deter them from any further hostility.

The whole party got down to the boat without any further accident, and in two hours they arrived at the government-house, when the surgeons were sent for:  Mr. Balmain, who was the first that arrived, after examining the wound, made every body happy, by assuring them he did not apprehend any fatal consequences from it; he extracted the point of the spear, and dressed the wound, and in six weeks the governor was perfectly recovered.

Immediately on the arrival of the governor at Sydney, it was judged necessary to send an armed party of marines towards Broken-bay, to escort the gentlemen who had walked that way back again; lest the same hostile disposition in the natives, should incline them to make an attack on them on their return.

Before I left Port Jackson, the natives were become very familiar and intimate with every person in the settlement; many of them now took up their rest every night in some of the gentlemen’s houses; their very unprovoked attack on the governor and his party being passed over and almost forgot.

We have frequently observed, since this familiar intercourse took place, that they often had a dance amongst themselves at night, on the lower part of Sydney-cove, where a small house had been built by the governor’s order, for their accommodation.  It had been signified to some of the principal amongst them, that we should be glad to have an opportunity of seeing them dance, which they readily agreed to, and the following night was appointed, when the governor and a considerable number attended; every one being provided with arms of some kind:  a caution which, notwithstanding friendly appearances, was generally allowed to be necessary; for experience had convinced us that these people have a good deal of treachery in their disposition.

Preparatory to this exhibition, much attention was paid to the decorating themselves; they were all Adams and Eves, without even a fig-leaf, but without their dignity.  The young women were employed with all their art in painting the young men, who were chiefly ornamented with streaks of white, done with pipe-clay, and in different forms, according to the taste of the man himself, or to that of the lady who adorned him:  no fop preparing for an assembly was ever more desirous of making his person irresistibly beautiful.