PORT ESSINGTON. 393 



have already stated, very friendly, and their assis- 

 tance proved valuable : they brought in the head 

 of the palm cabbage, which makes an excellent 

 vegetable, though to procure it, the tree is cut down 

 and destroyed : they also supplied the party with 

 wild honey. One of the Raffles Bay tribe instantly 

 made himself known on the arrival of the Expedi- 

 tion in the Bay ; he was called by the name of 

 Alligator, on account of his huge teeth, though his 

 proper appellation was Marambari. 



From Lieut. Vallach of H. M. S. Britomart, I 

 received much valuable information respecting the 

 natives, whom I find to be divided in three distinct 

 classes, which do not intermarry. The first is known 

 as Maudrojilly, the second as Mamburgy, the third 

 as Mandrouilly. They are very particular about 

 the distinction of classes, but we could never dis- 

 cover which was the superior and which the in- 

 ferior class, though it is supposed by most of those 

 who have inquired into the subject, that the Madro- 

 jilly, or first class, head the others in war, and 

 govern the affairs of the tribe. 



These aborigines were certainly a fine race, diff^er- 

 ing in some matters from the other natives of Aus- 

 tralia ; their hair was neither curly nor straight, 

 but crisp. The custom of extracting a front tooth 

 prevails among them, while the nasal cartilage here 

 as elsewhere was perforated. I noticed in par- 

 ticular that they did not make use of the boome- 

 rang, or kiley, but of the throwing stick or wamara, 

 * Lieut. Vallach died at Moulmain iu 1811. 



