THE COUNTRY. 127 



tobacco^ the sensations of nausea and faintness were 

 produced. 



These people appeared to repose the most perfect 

 confidence in us— they repeatedly visited the ship 

 in their own canoes or the watering- boats^ and were 

 always well treated ; nor did any circumstance 

 occur during' our intimacy to give either party 

 cause of complaint. We saw few Aveapons among* 

 them. The islanders had their bows and arrows^ 

 and the others their spears and throwing--sticks. 

 As the weather was fine^ at least as reg-arded the 

 absence of rain^ no huts of any kind were construc- 

 ted; at nig-ht the natives slept round their fires 

 without any covering*. During* our stay the food 

 of the natives consisted chiefly of two kinds of 

 fruit, the first (a Wallrothia) like a larg*e yellow 

 plum^ mealy and insipid ; the second^ the produce 

 of a kind of mang*rove {Candelia) the vegetating* 

 sprouts of which are prepared for food by a process 

 between baking* and steaming*. At low water the 

 women usually dispersed in search of shell-fish on 

 the mud-flats and among* the mangroves^ and the 

 men occasionally went out to fish^ either with the 

 spear^ or the hook and line. 



The country in the immediate vicinity of Evans' 

 and Cape York Bays consists of low wooded hills 

 alternating* with small valleys and plains of greater 

 extent. The coast line^ Avhen not consisting* of 

 rocky headlands, is either a sandy beach^ or is 

 fiung*ed with mangroves. Behind this^ where the 



