22 "IRRU, IRRU." 



tained a shock, which at first threatened to annihi- 

 late it, hut which fortunately ended, as it began, in 

 smoke. One of the officers used a common flint 

 and steel, in order to procure a light for his cigar ; 

 at this new mode of procuring fire all eyes were 

 open — for doubtless they procure it only by means 

 of friction — but when he proceeded to place the 

 lighted cigar between his lips, and roll forth from 

 thence a thick and perfumed cloud, fright took full 

 possession of them, and exclaiming *'Trrii, Irrii," 

 with the arm extended, and a slight vertical motion 

 of the hand, they darted ofi^ most unceremoniously, 

 clambering up the face of a precipitous cliff, with 

 extraordinary agility. Their cry of " Trru, Irrii," 

 and their manner of delivering it, were identical 

 with those of Kino 's Sound, under somewhat similar 

 circumstances. In a few days they had forgotten 

 their fright, and had returned to renew the friendly 

 relations this little incident had interrupted. 



During the short time we passed with this people 

 in Port Darwin, some words of their language were 

 collected by many of us. Those that we all agreed 

 in I have noted down, but the different names 

 for things given by the same person, here and at 

 Shoal Bay, will at once impress the reader with the 

 conviction of how impossible it is for transient 

 visitors to obtain a correct vocabulary. Those first 

 made out at Port Essington, were found to be half 

 Malay words, and of any meaning rather than what 



