t any of their teeth were wanting (as we afterwards observed
in others); their legs were long and very slight, and their only covering
a bit of grass suspended round the loins. There was an exception in the
youngest, who appeared of an entirely different race: his skin was a
copper colour, whilst the others were black; his head was not so large,
and more rounded; the overhanging brow was lost; the shoulders more of a
European turn, and the body and legs much better proportioned; in fact he
might be considered a well-made man at our standard of figure. They were
each armed with one, and some with two, spears, and pieces of stick about
eight feet long and pointed at both ends. It was used after the manner of
the Pacific Islanders, and the throwing-stick so much in use by the
natives of the south did not appear known to them.

After talking loud, and using very extravagant gestures, without any of
our party replying, the youngest threw a stone, which fell close to the
boat.

...

COINCIDENCE OF CUSTOMS.

It appears to me very probable that the same dark-coloured race inhabit
the whole of Northern Australia, and perhaps extend over the islands in
Torres Strait.

In order to support this opinion I shall first give an extract from the
journal of Dr. Duncan, from Wilson's Voyage round the World, page 148,
which contains a detail of the customs of Flinders Islands and part of
Northern Australia, and displays two or three remarkable customs
coinciding with those observed by myself and others to exist in Northwest
Australia:

At 8 hours 40 minutes P.M. the colonial brig Mary arrived, bringing along
with her a native of India, whom she picked up on one of Flinders
Islands.

On the 18th July the Lascar came on board the Success, and from him I
learned the following particulars: That he belonged to the ship Fame,
which was wrecked in the Straits; that he and a few others escaped in a
leaky boat after rowing for forty-eight hours. On landing the natives
stripped them of their clothes, etc., but otherwise behaved very kindly
to them. His companions in misfortune died the first year of his
residence amongst the natives, which in all amounted, he said, to six or
seven years.

The men in that part of Australia have from five to ten wives, of whom
they are rather jealous at times. The tribes are continually at war with
one another, and have regular pitched battles; but the moment that one is
killed on either side, the battle ce