COASTS OF AUSTRALIA, 
265 
of the bones of a human body, that had been 
buried in a grave close by, not longer than two or 
three months since. The footsteps of the follow- 
ers of the body to the grave were still visible in 
the sand, but other steps appeared to have been 
more recently impressed ; which must have been 
those of the natives, who had dug the body up 
either from a motive of curiosity or revenge. 
I cannot account for the absence of many of 
the bones of the skeleton, unless the natives are 
cannibals, of which we have hitherto neither had 
proofs, nor entertained the least suspicion ; dogs 
or birds may certainly have carried them off, or 
the natives themselves may have removed them 
as trophies, or as evidences of their discovery to 
their companions on the main. From the quan- 
tity of bamboo which was found scattered about 
the spot, there was every reason to conclude it 
was the grave of a Malay ; and according to the 
time of the Malay fleet’s passing these islands 
last year, they would at this time have quitted 
it about three months, which will nearly agree 
with the appearance of the bones and the grave. 
On returning on board, our party brought a 
great quantity of the bulbous roots of a crinum 
which grows abundantly among the rocks on 
Sims’ Island. 
On the 17th our wood and water were em- 
barked ; the former having been obtained from 
1819 . 
Aug-. 
10 — 16 . 
17 . 
