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Chapter III

January 1788 to August 1788

-Frequent interviews with the natives.--Weapons
described.--Ornaments.--Persons, manners, and
habitations.--Method of hunting.--Animals described.--Birds, and
insects.--Diary of the weather.--Departure of the Bussole and
Astrolabe.--A convict pretends to have discovered a gold
mine.--The fraud detected.--Observations for the longitude,
etc_.

A Few days after my arrival with the transports in Port
Jackson, I set off with a six oared boat and a small boat,
intending to make as good a survey of the harbour as
circumstances would admit: I took to my assistance Mr. Bradley,
the first lieutenant, Mr. Keltie, the master, and a young
gentleman of the quarter-deck.

During the time we were employed on this service, we had
frequent meetings with different parties of the natives, whom we
found at this time very numerous; a circumstance which I confess
I was a little surprized to find, after what had been said of
them in the voyage of the Endeavour; for I think it is observed
in the account of that voyage, that at Botany-bay they had seen
very few of the natives, and that they appeared a very stupid
race of people, who were void of curiosity. We saw them in
considerable numbers, and they appeared to us to be a very lively