126 NATIVES AT CAPE YORK. 



the body woolly and gTOwing* in scattered tufts^ and 

 that of the head also woolly and twisted into long- 

 strands like those of a mop. On the rig'ht shoulder^ 

 and occasionally the left also^ they had a larg'e 

 complicated^ oval scar^ onl}^ slig'htly prominent^ and 

 very neatly made. 



The cnstom of smoking* so general throuo-liout 

 Torres Strait^ has been introduced at Cape York. 

 Those most addicted to it were the Papuans above 

 mentioned^ but many of the Australians joined 

 them^ and were equally clamourous for tobacco. 

 Still it was singular to notice that althoug-h clwJia 

 (tobacco) was in g-reat demand^ biscuit^ Avhich they 

 had corrupted to hlsltikar^ was much more prized. 

 Their mode of smokino* having* elsewhere''^ been 

 described^ I need not allude to it further than that 

 the pipe^ which is a piece of bamboo as thick as the 

 arm and two or three feet Ions*, is first filled with 

 tobacco-smoke^ and then handed round the company 

 seated on the PTound in a ring* — each takes a long* 

 inhalation^ and passes the pipe to his neighbour^ 

 slowly allowing* the smoke to exhale. On several 

 occasions at Cape York^ I have seen a native so 

 affected by a single inhalation^ as to be rendered 

 nearly senseless^ with the perspiration bursting out 

 at every pore^ and require a draught of water to 

 restore him ) and^ although myself a smoker^ yet on 

 the onl3" occasion when I tried this mode of using 



* Jukes' Voyage of the Fly, Vol. i. p. 1G5. 



