388 PORT ESSINGTON. 



rising above the Government cottage and officers' 

 quarters ; while in order to ensure an ample supply 

 of water, deep wells were sunk on the table-land 

 within the settlement, which fully answered expec- 

 tation, the water proving good and abundant. 



Not long after the arrival of the expedition, M. 

 Dumont D'Urville, with the Astrolabe and Zelie, 

 arrived in Raffles Bay, and it was popularly be- 

 lieved that they had entertained some intentions of 

 forestalling our settlement. At any rate, the ques- 

 tion whether foreign powers were entitled to take 

 possession of points on the coast of Australia was 

 much debated at the time. However this may be, 

 and with whatever feelings the respective Govern- 

 ments of France and England may have regarded 

 each other at the time, the officers of the two 

 nations seemed to vie in courtesy. A boat was 

 despatched from Victoria to invite them to enter the 

 harbour, and the greatest harmony prevailed during 

 their stay. 



On the 28th of March, six Malay praos came in 

 and were soon followed by others, their owners so- 

 liciting permission to erect their establishments for 

 curing trepang under the protection of the British 

 flag. This being granted, they made choice of a 

 spot on the beach, and a little subsidiary settlement 

 soon sprung up. Being now for the first time se- 

 cure from the attacks of the natives, whose hostility 

 had until then forced every other man of them to 

 keep under arms whilst the rest worked, they 



