546 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 



ferns were seen here and there. Then we pulled across the other por- 

 tion of the strait, about three-quarters of a mile, and landed on Bathurst 

 Island at a native landing-place, where a well-beaten pad led inland. 

 Fresh tracks of the blacks were seen in the mud. We walked on to a 

 flat of rich black soil, in which were pools of fresh water and large paper- 

 bark trees grondng. Most of the soil seen on Bathurst Island seems 

 good, and all the timber and vegetation generally showed strong and 

 vigorous growth. 



Back to the lugger alter a long and stiff pull, and sailed up the 

 strait, anchoring off the south point of Luxmore Head. Here we landed 

 and ascended to the top of the plateau, about 70ft. On the beach there 

 are some curious-looking large, black, ferruginous sandstone rocks, like 

 masses of boiler tubes and mouldings cemented together. Then we 

 sailed round the north point of Luxmore Head and dropped anchor 

 close to it in St. Asaph Bay. The cliff here is almost 100ft. high. 

 Near the bottom was found a very large barbed turtle spear. From 

 the top there are fine views down and across the strait, Piper's Head 

 and densely timbered country showing up northward. At the back 

 the usual open forest extended. The place was alive with squatter 

 pigeons. King landed here in 1818, and ascended to the top in order 

 to take some bearings. He had a fowling piece and the theodolite 

 stand, and Mr. Cunningham an insect net. King fired at an iguana, 

 and then saw a party of natives approaching them carrying spears. 

 The two white men raced down the slope in what King calls a sauve 

 qui pent sort of way, leaving the theodolite stand and the insect net as 

 spoil to the natives, nor, although they entered into parley with them 

 afterwards, could they be recovered. King was very distrustful of 

 them, and perhaps missed making a favorable impression. Ho says 

 that the men were better formed and more muscular than any he had 

 ever seen before. 



Going eastward along the beach, we came to a mangrove-lined 

 creek with firm sandy banks, which in King's picture I recognised as 

 the place where he had held a boat parley with the natives. There 

 were a lot of old camps here, with oyster and cockle shells scattered 

 about. In a little sandy flat there was a grave enclosed by wooden 

 slabs, partly burnt. Aboriginal markings were faintly discernible 

 on some of them, and some posts had the wood cut away at the top, 

 leaving two spikes like horns at the sides ; others had the wood cut 

 away from the outside towards the centre, leaving a short spike in the 

 middle. We crossed the creek in the boat and walked northward along 

 the beach. ISiear a handsome Leichhardt tree, on the trunk of which 

 some marks were cut, there is a native well with a good supply of 

 water. A short time after our visit a Japanese sailor from one 

 of the pearling luggers working over the Mermaid Shoals, while fill- 

 ing a keg at this well, was badly speared by the natives lying in 

 ambush. 



We had bad weather next day and were unable to round Cape 

 Van Dieman, and ran for shelter under a small sand island about three 

 miles north-west of the cape. Here we got plenty of turtles and birds' 



