I explained to her when she got calm, for at first she was greatly frightened, that my camp was on the creek, and I wanted the blackfellows to come and see me; and taking Tampawang's knife, which hung by a string round his neck, I shewed the old lady the use of it, and putting the string over her head, patted her on the back and allowed her to depart.

To my surprise, in about an hour and a half after, seven natives were seen approaching the camp, with the slowness of a funeral procession.

They kept their eyes on the ground, and appeared as if marching to execution.

However, I made them sit under a tree; a group of seven of the most miserable human beings I ever saw.
Poor emaciated creatures all of them, who no doubt thought the mandate they had received to visit the camp was from a superior being, and had obeyed it in fear and trembling.

I made them sit down, gave them a good breakfast and some presents, but could obtain no information from them; when at length they slunk off and we never saw anything more of them.