to Terra Australis," which equally applies to the natives of Murray's, as to those of Darnley's Island, whom I believe to be the same people. "Their arms were bows, arrows, and clubs, which they bartered for every kind of iron work with eagerness; but appeared to set little value on anything else. The bows are made of split bamboo, and so strong, that no man in the ship could bend one of them. The string is a broad slip of cane, fixed to one end of the bow, and fitted with a noose, to go over the other end, when strung. The arrow is a cane, of about four feet long, into which a pointed piece of the hard, heavy, casuarina wood is firmly and neatly fitted; and some of them are barbed. Their clubs are made of the casuarina, and are powerful weapons. The hand part is indented, and has a small knob, by which the firmness of the grasp is much assisted; and the heavy end is usually carved with some device. "Their canoes are about fifty feet in length, and appear to have been hollowed out of a single tree; but the pieces which form the gunwales, are planks, sewed on with the cocoa nut, and secured with pegs. These vessels are low forward, but rise abaft; and, being narrow, are fitted with an outrigger on each side, to keep them steady. A raft, of greater length than the canoe, extends over about half the length; and upon this, is fixed a shed, or hut, thatched with palm leaves. "These people, in short, appeared to be dexterous sailors, and formidable warriors." The natives, in general, are tall, well made, and muscular men. They are of a dark chocolate colour, and possess intelligent countenances; their features more resembling those of Europeans, than those of any other savages I have met with. The males go entirely naked; but the females, even the youngest, wear a covering, from the waist to the knees. They are exceedingly numerous. We counted upwards of three hundred at one time, and Captain Flinders states, that, including women and children, the inhabitants of Murray's Island must amount to about seven hundred; but, although the island seems very fertile (and the shores abound in fish and turtle) yet, as it is not more than two miles in length, and one in breadth, it may fairly be presumed, that it cannot support so large a population'; and it is my belief, that many of the natives whom we observed here, belonged to Darnley's, Warrior's, and other neighbouring Islands, and even to New Guinea-communication being easily effected by means of their large canoes, in the management of which they are extremely dexterous. At sunset, we left the shore, and gave the natives to understand that they would not see us again. Madiea wept bitterly, which we thought rather extraordinary, as a two days' acquaintanceship rarely produces such a display of affection. We invited him to accompany us, and he willingly did so, and jumped into the boat. The assembled natives remonstrated with him, as we imagined, on his thus leaving his friends, and his native land; but, notwithstanding their entreaties, he persisted in going with us, which he did to a considerable distance, when, being overcome by the lamentations of the females, he lost heart, jumped overboard, and swam ashore to his companions. We then stood up in the boats, and gave three farewell cheers, which were cordially and loudly returned by the natives, from whom we thus parted on the most friendly terms. During our intercourse, we behaved towards them with the greatest prudence and good humour, and endeavoured, as far as we could, to cultivate their friendship, for the advantage of those who might, through shipwreck, be at their mercy; and I have every reason to believe, that our conduct has been attended with good results, as I have heard of several shipwrecked 1 Murray's Island has been considered, on many accounts, a very eligible spot to occupy. I perfectly agree as to its eligibility; more particularly if the abandoned British settlements, on the north coast of New Holland, should ever be resumed; but, from the warlike disposition of the natives, I doubt whether a sufficient number of soldiers could be spared from head-quarters to keep possession of it. people, who, since our visit, have been treated by them with great kindness and hospitality'. Next morning, at daylight, we got under weigh, and proceeded on our voyage, passing safely through Torres Straits, when the ships parted company. In a few days afterwards, the ship Richmond, in which I was a passenger, was totally lost on a coral reef, in the Java sea, and all the curiosities I had collected at Murray's Island were left to the Malays, whose proas were approaching the wreck in great numbers, when our former consort, the Almorah, providentially hove in sight, and rescued us from our perilous situation. 1 Ships, on their way from Sydney to India, occasionally touch here, for the purpose of bartering for tortoiseshell, and the natives come off to the ships without fear. Dr. Rutherford, who visited Murray's Island in 1833, has furnished the "United Service Journal" with an interesting account of the inhabitants, &c. &c. |