MOUNT ERNEST DESCRIBED. 35 



birds with a g"un, and procuring* a light from a 

 kicifer match. 



On the following* day I had an opportunity of 

 examining- the whole of the northern or inhabited 

 side of the island. Mount Ernest is little more 

 than a mile in greatest leng-th^ of a somewhat 

 triang-ular shape, its eastern and larger portion 

 hilly, rising' gradual^ to an elevation of 751 feet, 

 and its western part low and sand}^ The rock 

 is grey sienite, and from the striking similarity of 

 aspect, it appeared to me pretty certain that Pole, 

 Burke, and Banks Islands are of the same forma- 

 tion j they agree in exhibiting massive peaks, re- 

 spectively 409, 490, and 1246 feet in height. 



Mount Ernest is the head quarters of the Kul- 

 kaleg'a tribe of Torres Strait Islanders who are now 

 absent on one of their periodical migrations, leaving- 

 in possession only the old man whom we met 

 yesterda}^, and his famil}", among whom is a 

 daughter of rather prepossessing appearance for a 

 female of her race. The villap-e consists of a sino-le 

 line of huts, which would furnish accommodation 

 for, probably, 150 people. It is situated on the 

 north-west, or leeward side of the island, imme- 

 diately behind the beach, and in front of a belt of 

 jungle. The huts are long and low, Avith an arched 

 roof, and var}^ in length from ten to twenty feet, 

 with an average height of five feet, and a width of 

 six. They consist of a neat framework of strips 

 of bamboo, thatched Avith long coarse grass. Each 



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