NATIVES OF THE COBOURG PENINSULA. 145 



Port Essinglon has sometimes been alluded to as 

 being- admirably adapted for a depot from which 

 Em-opean goods can be introduced among the neigh- 

 bouring islands of the Indian Archipelago, but on 

 this subject I would perfectly coincide with Mr. 

 Jukes, who states — " Now, the best plan for a vessel 

 wishing to trade with the independent islands, 

 obviously, is to go to them at once ; while she has 

 just as good an opportunity to smuggle her goods 

 into the Dutch islands, if that be her object, as the 

 natives would have if they were to come and fetch 

 them from Port Essington." 



The natives of the Cobourg Peninsula are divided 

 into four tribes, named respectively the Bijenelumbo, 

 Lirabakarajia, Limbapyu, and Terrutong. The 

 first of these occupies the head of the harbour (in- 

 cluding the ground on which the settlement is built), 

 and the country as far back as the isthmus, — the 

 second, both sides of the port lower down, — the 

 third, the north-west portion of the peninsula,— and 

 the last have possession of Croker's Island, and the 

 adjacent coasts of the mainland. From the constant 

 intercourse which takes place between these tribes, 

 irthek. affinity of language, and similarity in phy- 

 cacter, manners, and customs, they may be 

 fas one. 

 Aborigines of Port Essington scarcely differ 

 from those of the other parts of Australia, — I mean, 

 there is no striking peculiarity. The septum of the 



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