1 78 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



was surveying ENDEAVOUR STRAIT.* (SEE MAP A.) On 2ist Sep- 

 tember, the "Fly" left Endeavour Strait for PORT ESSINGTON and 

 SOURABAYA, Java, where she arrived on iqth October, 1844, to be 

 joined, shortly afterwards, by the "Bramble" and "Prince George" 



The " Fly " and " Bramble " returned to TORRES STRAIT on 

 loth February, 1845. At BOOBY ISLAND, they left provisions for 

 possible future shipwrecked people fortunately for themselves, 

 as it turned out. They were engaged up to i()th April in sur- 

 veying the central and north-eastern parts of Torres Strait. 

 During this time they laid down the "track recommended" from 

 the north-eastern end of the Barrier Reef to Endeavour Strait. 

 Lieutenant (afterwards Commander) Shadwell, of the "Fly" 

 made a series of magnetical observations. SHADWELL POINT, near 

 Somerset, was named after him. Yule, in the " Bramble" surveyed 

 the passage between the mainland and ALBANY ISLAND and named 

 it PORT ALBANY.' 



From 2%tb March to ist April, the ships lay off the west side 

 of DARNLEY or ERROOB ISLAND, and the officers and men spent a 

 good part of the time on shore. They sedulously cultivated a 

 good understanding with the NATIVES, and came to regard some of 

 them as personal friends. Among these were two individuals 

 named MAMMOOS and SEEWAI, who were leaders rather by virtue 

 of their strength of character than by right of any hereditary or 

 electoral chieftainship. It was observed by Jukes that TOBACCO 

 was cultivated and smoked, and he puzzled himself over the question 

 of whether the plant and the custom had been introduced by early 

 Portuguese, Spanish or Dutch visitors. He saw carved wooden 

 figures, and was of opinion that they had no religious significance, 

 but represented the filling up of idle time, or perhaps the instinctive 

 expression of artistic feeling. The barter of iron articles, chiefly 

 axes and knives, for coco-nuts and turtle-shell went on briskly. 

 Jukes made the observation that DARNLEY and MURRAY ISLANDS 

 were of VOLCANIC origin, while the islands extending from Cape 

 YORK to MOUNT CORNWALLIS were composed of granite or old 

 metamorphic rocks. Dr. Muirhead and Lieutenant Risk s were 

 among the persons who landed on Darnley Island. 



On nth April, the ships anchored off MURRAY ISLAND and the 

 NATIVES gave Blackwood and Jukes a hospitable and even effusive 

 welcome. During the whole of their stay (till i$tk April), the 

 most friendly relations were maintained between the islanders and 

 the ships' companies. Bartering was carried on with zest, the 

 islanders frequently visiting the ships in their canoes. It was noted 



1 I gather the impression that Blackwood intended to apply the name " Endeavour 

 Strait " to the whole of Torres Strait. 



2 MacGillivray's Voyage of the "Rattlesnake," I, 132. MacGillivray erroneously 

 gives the year as 1846 instead of 1845. 



8 RISK POINT, on the mainland, opposite the Hannibal Islands was probably named 

 after him. 



