KULKALEGA TRIBE OF NATIVES. 41 



not part with; but a large quantity of very fine tor- 

 toise-shell was obtained; chiefly in exchange for leaf 

 tobaccO; which they know by the name of sugul). 



When the tide slackened we g'ot under weig-h; and 

 the natives returned to their island. Sue^ althoug'h 

 the largest of the Three Sisters, is not more than the 

 third of a mile in leno-th. Like all the islands of the 

 eastern side of Torres Strait, with the exception of 

 the Darnley and Murray Islands, this is of the coral 

 sand formation, low and thickly wooded. Some 

 cocoa-nut trees grow at the west end of the island, 

 where there is a native village wdiich we approached 

 close enough to have a good view of it with the spy- 

 o-lass. It consisted of several lono- huts, thatched 

 with grass, which apparently are not much used 

 during* the day time, as we saw no one entering- or 

 coming* out of them. Many of the people, both men 

 and women, ran dow^n to the beach, Avaving green 

 branches to induce us to land j others were sitting 

 do\vn under temporary sheds made by stretching 

 larsfe mats — the sails of their canoes— over a fi'ame- 

 work of sticks. The inside of one large enclosure 

 was concealed by a fence six feet high, and an adja- 

 cent shed, under w hich some cooking was going on, 

 was completely covered with some recent shells of 

 turtle, apparently about thirty in number. Three 

 very large canoes were hauled up on the beach, pro- 

 tected fi'om the sun b}" matting*, and two smaller 

 ones were kept afloat. There appeared to be about 

 60 people upon the island, from which, and other 



