Last year she heard of our two vessels (described as two war canoes, a big and a little one) being at Cape York--only twenty miles distant--from some of the tribe who had communicated with us and been well treated, but they would not take her over, and even watched her more narrowly than before.
RESCUED FROM CAPTIVITY.
On our second and present visit, however, which the Cape York people immediately announced by smoke signals to their friends in Muralug, she was successful in persuading some of her more immediate friends to bring her across to the mainland within a short distance of where the vessels lay.

The blacks were credulous enough to believe that as she had been so long with them, and had been so well treated, she did not intend to leave them--only she felt a strong desire to see the white people once more and shake hands with them; adding, that she would be certain to procure some axes, knives, tobacco, and other much prized articles.

This appeal to their cupidity decided the question at once.

After landing at the sandy bay on the western side of Cape York, she hurried across to Evans Bay, as quickly as her lameness would allow, fearful that the blacks might change their mind; and well it was that she did so, as a small party of men followed to detain her, but arrived too late.

Three of these people were brought on board at her own request, and as they had been instrumental in saving her from the wreck, they were presented with an axe apiece, and other presents.
Upon being asked by Captain Stanley whether she really preferred remaining with us to accompanying the natives back to their island, as she would be allowed her free choice in the matter, she was so much agitated as to find difficulty in expressing her thankfulness, making use of scraps of English alternately with the Kowrarega language, and then, suddenly awaking to the recollection that she was not understood, the poor creature blushed all over, and with downcast eyes, beat her forehead with her hand, as if to assist in collecting her scattered thoughts.
HER HISTORY.
At length, after a pause, she found words to say: "Sir, I am a Christian, and would rather go back to my own friends." At the same time, it was remarked by everyone that she had not lost the feelings of womanly modesty--even after having lived so long among naked blacks; she seemed acutely to feel the singularity of her position--dressed only in a couple of shirts, in the midst of a crowd of her own countrymen.
When first seen on shore our new shipmate presented so dirty and wretched an appearance that some people who were out shooting at first mistook her for a gin, and were passing by without taking further notice, when she called out to them in English: "I am a white woman, why do you leave me ?" With the exception of a narrow fringe of leaves in front, she wore no clothing, and her skin was tanned and blistered with the sun, and showed the marks of several large burns which had been received from sleeping too near the fire on cold nights; besides, she was suffering from ophthalmia, which had previously deprived her of the sight of one eye.
But good living, and every comfort (for Captain Stanley kindly provided her with a cabin and a seat at his table) combined with medical attention, very soon restored her health, and she was eventually handed over to her parents in Sydney in excellent condition.
Although perfectly illiterate, Mrs.Thomson had made good use of her powers of observation, and evinced much shrewdness in her remarks upon various subjects connected with her residence among the blacks, joined to great willingness to communicate any information which she possessed.
Much of this will be found in another part of this volume, incorporated with the result of my own observations.