Country between Moreton Bay and Port Essington. 109 
with were rather slim, but very intelligent. In the interior the 
families were more scattered, the tribes smaller, the intermixing 
between each other was less rapid. 
Mr. Eyre remarked, that at the south coast the presence of 
natives does not indicate a supply, or at least an abundance of 
water. This, I think, may be the case at the sea-coast, where 
an abundant supply of food constantly invites the natives, who are 
consequently trained from childhood to do with the smallest pos¬ 
sible quantity of water. In the interior the fires and burnings of 
grass were almost invariably the indications of an approach to 
water. At the Alligator Rivers the natives generally resorted to 
wells, which they had dug along the outlines of large plains, which 
abounded not only with animal but also with vegetable food. 
In their habits there were decided differences. In the first 
account of my journey, published in the Herald and Australian 
newspapers, I have alluded to the remarkable custom of circum¬ 
cision of the natives of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Having com¬ 
pared my notes, I find that the custom was only observed at the 
west side of the gulf; but Captain Flinders mentions it as cha¬ 
racteristic of all the natives of the Gulf of Carpentaria. 
At the Macarthur we still saw the bommerang, which is unknown 
at the Alligator Rivers and Port Essington, where the throwing 
stick and the goose spears are the means of obtaining game; and 
the common spear made of wood or strong reeds, and headed with 
a sharp quartzose stone, form their means of offence and defence. 
The barbed spear, either on one side or on both, and spears jagged 
with sharp pieces of quartz were also common. Kangaroo nets 
made of the bark of kooremin (sterculia heterophylla), nets of 
various size for fishing were found in the camps of the natives. At 
Port Essington their baskets are made of the fibres of the young 
pandanus leaf. The rock crystal was found in their dillis as 
far as the gulf, but never precious stones or brilliant ores were 
observed. 
Of their language 1 have but little to say. That there was a 
difference, at least of dialect, between three tribes of the Alligator 
Rivers whose territories joined, was indicated by the name of the 
