WRECK OF THE "CHARLES EATON" 157 



mask-like figure of turtle-shell. The skulls were taken possession 

 of and carried to Sydney, where a sufficient number were pronounced 

 to be OF EUROPEAN ORIGIN to account for the majority of the ship- 

 wrecked people. 



The object of the expedition had been attained, and the 

 " Isabella " left Aureed on 26th July, on the home voyage, calling 

 at HALFWAY, MOUNT ADOLPHUS and DOUBLE ISLANDS. While 

 at Double Island, the " Isabella " was overtaken by the " Tigris" 

 It appeared that the latter had sailed south-west from Murray 

 Island by a new route, now known as the TIGRIS PASSAGE, changed 

 her course to north-west and rounded the north end of Halfway 

 Island and followed on the track taken by the " Isabella " to DOUBLE 

 ISLAND. The two ships left Double Island on 2nd August, passed 

 through the PRINCE OF WALES CHANNEL, passed BOOBY ISLAND on 

 yd August and reached RAFFLES BAY, and ultimately TIMOR, 

 where they parted, the " Isabella " for Sydney and the " Tigris " 

 for India. 



Although the geographical results of the " Isabella's " voyage 

 were of no great importance, the voyage furnished ethnological 

 data of considerable value. It gave, before the disturbing influence 

 of a white invasion had had time to make itself seriously felt, a 

 picture of the islands of the Coral Sea inhabited by a race of 

 Papuan type, absolutely distinct from the Australian, who, while 

 carrying their agricultural acquirements with them, had specialised 

 in navigation and fishing, roaming from island to island in their 

 canoes, fishing and turtle-hunting here and there at what their 

 observation of winds, rains and currents had taught them were 

 seasonable times for their pursuits, with, probably, only a limited 

 enjoyment of home or head quarters. They worked the islands 

 and fishing and hunting grounds on a carefully thought out plan, 

 comparable to a scientific rotation of crops. As far as their oppor- 

 tunities permitted, they were HEAD-HUNTERS and SLAVERS. They 

 penetrated by sea at least as far south as CAPE GRENVILLE, and it 

 is very singular indeed that they seem never to have attempted 

 to seize or settle upon the mainland of Australia, and that they had 

 communicated very few of their accomplishments to the inhabitants 

 of the continent. So far as observation goes, slight or local infusions 

 of Papuan blood into the Australian race are the only traces of their 

 descents on the coast. It seems to me that the only possible 

 explanation must be that they had not had time enough to make 

 their mark on the Cape York Peninsula. In other words, it may 

 not have been many centuries, or perhaps not even many genera- 

 tions, since they had begun their systematic exploitation of the 

 Torres Strait islands and reefs. To all appearances, they had not 

 had time, up to 1836, to exhaust or seriously impoverish the fishing 

 and hunting grounds which it was their custom to harry year after 

 year. 



