92 NATIVE VILLAGE. 



hour^ and found a cluster of three or four dome- 

 shaped huts^ large and roomy^ of neat construction^ 

 covered with sheets of melaleuca bark^ and having* 

 one^ sometimes two entrances. Some fishing' nets^ 

 similar to those used at Moreton Bay^ w^ere seen. 

 The men retired into the bush w^hen we landed^ nor 

 would they come out to me when I advanced alone 

 towards them^ in order to look at the huts. We 

 anchored for the night under No. I. of the Barnard 

 Isles. Megapodii were here very plentiful^ and 

 about daylight very noisy^ running about in all 

 directions^ repeating their loud call of chro-co — chro- 

 CO. Some of the bushes presented a fine show of 

 the scarlet flowers of Disemma coccineay a kind of 

 passion-flower^ before only found at Endeavour 

 River by Sir Joseph Banks^ during Cook's second 

 voyage. In the morning we returned to the ship. 



On June 12th^ while passing a small opening in 

 the land^ a little to the northward of Double Pointy 

 the Asp was observed on shore with a signal for 

 assistance^ which was immediately sent^ when she 

 was got ofl* without damage. At this place^ as 

 Lieut. Simpson informed me^ a boomerang was 

 obtained from the natives ; we had not before 

 observed this singular Aveapon upon the north-east 

 coast^ and its use is quite unknown on the north 

 coast fi^om Cape York to Port Essington. This one 

 too was painted green^ a colour which I never heard 

 of elsewhere among the Australians^ whose pigments 

 are blacky white_, yellow, and red. 



Near this place^ while tacking close in shore^ a 



