Sunday 16 October 1836

Sunday, 16th October.

The Brig being detained till today by contrary and strong winds got under weigh at daybreak for Nepean Bay, the wind being having moderated and the weather being very fine. Some of the natives showed much ingenuity this afternoon capturing several very fine fish of the salmon species. They descried the shoal from their huts – a distance of half a mile and upon a signal given each man dashed into the water with a small net under his arm and each succeeded in bringing out two, three or four enclosed in it in an incredibly short space of time. They immediately brought them to our tents and gave them to us, but we only took three from them, in return for which Colonel Light intends to give them a meal of beef. This tribe, i.e. the Cape Jervis tribe, have evinced much goodwill and not the slightest disposition to thieve. They are very useful to us fetching our wood and working in any way with great cheerfulness. Yesterday they were all rigged out in new jackets and trowsers and are promised each a new cap if they remain faithful. Contrary to the opinion of most people I think that with kind treatment they may be as easily civilized as any other race of savages. One of them who has lived with Wallend [Henry Wallen], the Chief Sealer, on the Island speaks a little English and understands much more, so he is a good interpreter. He generally accompanies me out shooting and fetches the game out of the water as well as any dog. He is much pleased when I kill a bird on the wing and expresses his surprise by the exclamation ‘Nurra-dourra”.