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“Now,” said Bligh, “I mean to have a closer view of those fellows.”

Accordingly, we steered inshore and laid the boat as close as was prudent to the rocks. Meanwhile, the savages, observing our intent, had run away to a distance of about two hundred yards.

Bligh shouted: “Come aboard, there!” and stood in the stern sheets waving a shirt aloft; but not a foot would they stir from their places. They were without a vestige of cloathing, and their bodies looked as black as ink in the clear morning light, against a background of sand and naked rocks. Their timidity was encouraging in our unarmed and weakened condition; we felt that we had little to fear from any small bands of these people.

“They’ll never come,” said Nelson, after we had lain at our oars shouting and beckoning to them. “It’s a pity, too, for they seem harmless enough, and they must have ways of getting food that would be most valuable to us could we learn what they are.”

“No, we may as well proceed,” said Bligh. “I should like to see them near at hand. Sir Joseph Banks is most anxious to have a description of the savages of New Holland. He shall have to be content with the little I can tell him of their general appearance.”