AT CAPE YORK. 819 



Cape York. f;imply because^ while perfectly agreeing' 

 with Mr, Jukes* and several other persons -w^ho 

 have drawn the public attention to the subject, I 

 have little in addition to offer. Still a few words on 

 the question may not be out of place. The benefi- 

 cial results to be looked for were such a settlement 

 to be formed would be — 



1st. A port of refuge would be afforded to the 

 crews of vessels wrecked in Torres Strait, and its 

 approaches, who otherwise must make for Boob}" 

 Island, and there await the uncertainty of being* 

 picked up by some passing- vessel, or even attempt in 

 the boats to reach Coupang' in Timor, a distance of 

 1100 miles further. And now that the settlement 

 at Port Essington has been abandoned the necessity 

 for such a place of refuge is still gTeater. 



2nd. Passing vessels might be supphed with ^vater 

 and other refreshments, also stores, such as anchors, 

 &c., which last are frequently lost during the pas- 

 sage of the Strait. 



3rd. The knowledge of the existence of such a 

 post would speedily exercise a beneficial influence 

 over our intercourse with the natives of Torres Strait, 

 and induce them to refrain from a repetition of the 

 outrages which they have frequently committed 

 upon Europeans; the little trade in tortoisesheU 

 which mig'ht be pushed in the Strait (as has fre- 

 quently been done before by small vessels from 

 Sydney and even from Hong Kong) A\ould no longer 



* Voyage of the Fly, toI. i. p. 302. 



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