Gulph of Carpentaria.'] 
TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
183 
islet being sometimes visited by the Indians, I found four human isos, 
skulls lying at the back of the shore. Tuesday 7 ^. 
From the woody islet I crossed over to the main land near the 
ship, and took another set of bearings for the survey. Upon the 
shore were pieces of bamboo, and other traces of the same foreign 
people of whom mention has frequently been made; and three small 
huts were found, so entirely covered with grass that no opening was 
left; but they were empty, and nothing was buried underneath. On 
the borders of a small fresh lake the botanists reaped a harvest of 
new plants, without molestation ; indeed no natives were seen any 
\vhere; but several skeletons were found, standing upright in the 
hollow stumps of trees ; and the skulls and bones being smeared or 
painted, partly red and partly white, made a very strange appearance. 
Some kanguroos were perceived at a distance ; and judging by their 
foot-marks on the sand, they were rather numerous. The country 
near the sea side is stony and barren ; further back, it rises gently 
to a small elevation, and seemed to be moderately well covered with 
grass and wood. 
In the morning of the 5th we got under way, and steered Wednes. 5. 
eastward for Groote Eylandt, which I now intended to circumnavigate. 
In passing the south side of Bickerton’s Island, we observed in it a 
deep bight or bay which would afford shelter in the north-west mon- 
soon, if there be depth sufficient for a ship ; and the hills at the back 
being high and woody, there was a probability of its receiving a 
stream of fresh water. The country round the entrance of the bight, 
had the appearance of being sandy and sterile. 
Between the nearest parts of Groote and Bickerton's Islands 
is a space of eight miles, which seemed to offer a perfectly safe pas- 
sage, with soundings, if I may judge from what we had in crossing 
the south side, between 13 and 17 fathoms ; nor can the rather high 
and woody isle, which lies almost exactly in the middle of the open- 
ing, be considered as presenting any obstacle. This isle, from its 
local position, would seem to be the central one of three laid down 
