Flinders
and Bass.
1798.
us a black swan. Two women ran off, but a man, who had two or three spears in his hand, staid to receive us, and accepted the swan with rapture. He seemed entirely ignorant of muskets, nor did any thing excite his attention or desire except the swan and the red kerchiefs about our necks; he knew, however, that we came from the sloop, and where it was lying. A little knowledge of the Port-Jackson, and of the South-Sea-Island languages was of no use in making ourselves understood by this man; but the quickness with which he comprehended our signs spoke in favour of his intelligence. His appearance much resembled that of the inhabitants of New South Wales; he had also marks raised upon the skin, and his face was blackened and hair ruddled as is sometimes practised by them. The hair was either close cropped, or naturally short; but it had not the appearance of being woolly. He acceded to our proposition of going to his hut; but finding from his devious route and frequent stoppages, that he sought to tire our patience, we left him delighted with the certain possession of his swan, and returned to the boat. This was the sole opportunity we had of communicating with any of the natives of Van Diemen's Land.
At one o'clock, when advanced five miles above the elbow, the ebb tide made; and the wind being unfavourable, we landed to dine. The general course of the river had been nearly south-west; but it there turned west-by-north. The width, found by extending a base line, was two hundred and thirty yards, and the depth, as it had generally been in the channel from Herdsman's Cove, was 3 fathoms; but in some parts there may not be more than 2, at low water.
We arrived on board the sloop in the evening, with fourteen swans, in time to get a short distance down the river, before the ebb tide had done running; and no place more convenient than Risdon Cove having offered itself, we anchored there next day, and proceeded to complete our water, and refit the sloop for returning to Port Jackson. The late rains had so much increased the stream at the head of the cove, that our labour was much abridged; and in the evening of Dec. 30, every thing was completed.
