218 
NORTH AUSTRALIA, 
from the people among whom they reside clj were, Id 
reality, mere visitors from distant tribes, 
" Before entering into any partieulars with regard to the 
charactcriaties of the various tribes, it will be necessary to 
notice their geographical distribution. The Coboiirg 
Peninsula itself is occupied by four distmct communities. 
Three of these inhabit the northern and central parts of 
the peninsula, while the fourth, which is the most nume- 
rous and powerful, occupies the entire southern coast and 
the islands of Van Diem en's Gulf; the upper portion of 
the harbour of Port Essington being also in their possea- 
sion. ITiis last appears to have only recently acquired 
territory upon the peninsula ; indeed it would seem that 
at no very distant period, the pressure of a powerful 
people in the interior of the continent had driven one 
tribe in upon another, until several distinct commuuitiea 
have been crowded up within the Cobourg Peninsula, 
where, nntil very recently, they have been making war 
upon each other to such an extent, that two of these have, 
within the memory of natives now living, been reduced 
from numerous bodies to mere scattered remnants. 
" These four tribes are distinguished among each other 
by the term which in the particular dialect of each desig- 
nates the monosyllable ' No,^ Thus the tribe which 
iuhabits Croker Island and the country about Raffles Bay 
(and which appears to have originally consisted of two 
tribes, which have amalgamated to such an extent that 
characteristic distinctions are almost entirely lost) ia 
termed ' Yaako the Poit Esaington tribe goes by the 
name of *Yarlo/ the western tribe by that of Myi/ 
