ome of the
gentlemen's houses; their very unprovoked attack on the governor
and his party being passed over and almost forgot.

We have frequently observed, since this familiar intercourse
took place, that they often had a dance amongst themselves at
night, on the lower part of Sydney-cove, where a small house had
been built by the governor's order, for their accommodation. It
had been signified to some of the principal amongst them, that we
should be glad to have an opportunity of seeing them dance, which
they readily agreed to, and the following night was appointed,
when the governor and a considerable number attended; every one
being provided with arms of some kind: a caution which,
notwithstanding friendly appearances, was generally allowed to be
necessary; for experience had convinced us that these people have
a good deal of treachery in their disposition.

Preparatory to this exhibition, much attention was paid to the
decorating themselves; they were all Adams and Eves, without even
a fig-leaf, but without their dignity. The young women were
employed with all their art in painting the young men, who were
chiefly ornamented with streaks of white, done with pipe-clay,
and in different forms, according to the taste of the man
himself, or to that of the lady who adorned him: no fop preparing
for an assembly was ever more desirous of making his person
irresistibly beautiful. This paint, so much in use among them,
could not be applied without a little moisture, and the lady, in
drawing those marks on the face, which were so essential a part
of the decoration, I observed frequently to spit in the face of
her friend, whom she was employed in adorning, in order to make
the white clay mark the stronger. When they were all prepared, we
walked down to the place appointed, after dark, for they prefer
taking their amusement by fire-light; we found several fires
lighted, and a considerable number of people assembled. We walked
round to see that there were no armed lurkers among the
bushes.

The dancers being ready, we were placed in a semicircle, by
Ba-na-lang, and Co-al-by, who seemed to have the chief authority
and direction. The dance was begun by a few young boys, and was
encreased by men and women, chiefly by the former, until their
number amounted from twenty to twenty-six. Their dance was truly
wild and savage, yet, in many parts, there appeared order and
regularity: one man would frequently single himself out from