AN ABORIGINAL OF PORT ESSINGTON. 165 



his hand prepared by himself, and so well done too, 

 that it was added to the collection. I could give 

 many other instances of his sag-acity, his docihty, 

 and even his acute perception of character, — latterly, 

 he seemed even to read my very thoughts. He 

 accompanied me in the Fly to Torres Strait and 

 New Guinea, and on our return to Port Essington 

 begged so hard to continue with me that I could 

 not refuse him. He went with us to Singapore, 

 Java, and Sydney, and from his great good humour 

 became a favourite with aU on board, picking up the 

 English language with facility, and readily conform- 

 ing himself to our habits, and the discipline of the 

 ship. He was very cleanly in his personal habits, and 

 paid much attention to his dress, which was always 

 kept neat and tidy. I was often much amused and 

 surprised by the oddity and justness of his remarks 

 upon the many strange sights which a voyage of this 

 kind brought before him. The Nemesis steamer under 

 weigh puzzled him at first — he then thought it was 

 " all same big cart, only got him shingles* on 

 wheels !" He always expressed great contempt 

 for the dulness of comprehension of his countrj^men, 

 " big fools they," he used often to say, " black fel- 

 low no good." Even Malays, Chinamen, and the 

 natives of India, he counted as nothing in his in- 

 creasing admiration of Europeans, until he saw 

 some sepoys, when he altered his opinion a little, 

 and thought that he too, if only big enough, would 



* Wooden " tiles" generally used for coveriua; the roofs of 

 houses in Australia. 



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