113 
We passed quite close to several of the Central Is- 
lands, which comprise a large number of coral sand 
eays not rising more than about fifteen feet above the 
sea. Coconut palms grow abundantly on many of them 
and some of the bigger islands are inhabited. 
After eighteen hours in the launch we reached 
Darnley Island, the largest of the Eastern group, 125 
miles north-east of Thursday Island and about 60 miles 
from New Guinea. The Murray Islands (Mer, Dauar 
and Waier) lie 30 miles to the south-east, and the north- 
ern tip of the Great Barrier Reef passes about four miles 
east of Mer. 
Fig. 2 
ig. 1 — Medigee bay and village, 
ig. 2 — A village on Mer. 
g. 3 — Darnley I. beau at the bazaar, 
g. 4 — Coral bird. Dauar. (Photo- 
graphed by R. V. Miles.) 
Fig. 3 
Fig. 4 
