CHAPTER XII. 



LAST VISIT TO ERROOB — SEEWAI GIVKS US NEWS OF OUR 

 MISSING BOATS — RETURN TO CAPE YORK FOR WATER — 

 FIND INTELLIGENCE OF OUR MISSING BOATS AT THE POST- 

 OFFICE AT BOOBY ISLAND — THEY HAVE GONE TO PORT 

 ESS1NGT0N — TWO WRECKS HAPPENED RECENTLY, OF 

 WHICH THE CREWS AND PASSENGERS ARE LIKEWISE GONE 

 TO PORT ESSINGTON — NOTES ON THE IMPORTANCE OP A 

 POST IN TORRES STRAIT. 



June. 3. — After a rapid beating passage against 

 a fresh breeze and heavy sea, we anchored at half- 

 past three, p.m., in Treacherous Bay, Erroob, in 

 order to M get sights " for the chronometer, and 

 measure the meridian distance between it and Cape 

 York. A party of us landed and went to Keriam, 

 where we were met by Keouck and one or two 

 more, who begged us to walk on to Maedha, where 

 they said the rest were assembled. There were one 

 or two strangers also, who were said to come from 

 Tood Island. Keouck eagerly inquired about our 

 adventures in Dowdee, and seemed greatly delighted 

 when I told him we had been obliged to shoot some 

 of the people. Arrived at Maedha, we found ten 

 or twelve large canoes drawn up on the beach, and 

 a large party of men and women from Tood and 

 Daraood, and other islands to the westward, on a 

 visit to Erroob. There were several new temporari- 

 ly ts and sheds built, under which they were sitting 



