NATIVES OF TORRES STRAIT. 257 



on the shores of the continent ; their voices sounded 

 softer, and their language appeared quite different. 

 They instantly recognized the drawing of a Murray 

 Island canoe, in Flinders' Voyage, and constantly 

 kept repeating the word iooiicy meaning iron, in 

 the Murray Island language. The lobe of their ears 

 was perforated with a large piece of bone ; and their 

 hair was like that which I have before described as 

 crisp. I noticed that their spears were all pointed 

 with bone, and that the shafts in those used for 

 fishing were large, with a coil of line attached, and 

 a string also connecting the head, which came loose 

 when a porpoise or turtle was struck ; whilst the 

 wood, floating, acted as a drag. At daylight on the 

 21st we proceeded on our passage. 



About four or five miles to the southward of Endea- 

 vour River, we passed some discoloured patches 

 near the shore ; and thereabouts a shoal has since 

 been discovered. Having before expressed an 

 opinion that there was a safe passage through En- 

 deavour Strait, I resolved to take this opportunity of 

 setting the question at rest. Before passing between 

 the Possession Isles, towards the entrance of it, I 

 acquainted the rest of the convoy with my intentions, 

 to give them the option of taking the chance of a 

 passage with me, or of proceeding by the ordinary 

 route. They chose the former, and we accordingly 

 entered the Strait, which we found navigable for 

 vessels drawing 18 feet, bypassing about a mile and 

 a half to the northward of the Wallis Islands, steering 



VOL. II. s 



