The rain ceasing on Tuesday afternoon, a party went to the eastern shore
to procure fire-wood, and to comply with the desire which the natives had
so often expressed of seeing them land among them. On approaching them,
they carried their nets away into the wood; but three of them, who
remained, suffered the white people to advance without laying down their
muskets, which had never happened before. They were still timorous; but,
on being encouraged and requested by signs to sing, they began a song in
concert, which actually was musical and pleasing, and not merely in the
diatonic scale, descending by thirds, as at Port Jackson: the descent of
this was waving, in rather a melancholy soothing strain. The song of
Bong-ree, which he gave them at the conclusion of theirs, sounded
barbarous and grating to the ear; but Bong-ree was an indifferent
songster, even among his own countrymen.
These people, like the natives of Port Jackson, having fallen to the low
pitch of their voices, recommenced their song at the octave, which was
accompanied by slow and not ungraceful motions of the body and limbs,
their hands being held up in a supplicating posture, and the tone and
manner of their song and gestures seemed to bespeak the good will and
forbearance of their auditors.
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