named by them Pulo Tiga, or The Three Islands; this is
the usual southern limit of their voyage. The Macassar proas that visit
Port Essington, amounting in one season to fourteen, usually brought for
barter tea, sugar, cloths, salt-fish, rice, etc. Several of the nakodhas,
or masters, have expressed a wish to abandon fishing, and occupy
themselves only in trade, if there is sufficient encouragement held out
to them.

During our stay a report was brought into the settlement by the natives
that there was a large vessel wrecked on the mainland, near the Alligator
Rivers, which was accompanied by so many details of place and
circumstance that Captain Stanley was induced to send Lieutenant Vallack,
of the Britomart, away in the decked tender to procure information, and
to render all assistance in his power. He was accompanied by several of
the Port Essington natives; and on arriving at the Eastern River, found
that there was no foundation for the report. But having got so far away
from the settlement, he ascended the river some little distance, and
towards sunset came on a tribe of natives. The anchor was let go, and
signs were made to induce them to approach, for some time without
success. At last, however, encouraged by seeing so many of their own
countrymen, two or three of the more courageous ventured to draw near.
The scene that followed was a curious illustration of the slight
communication that exists between natives of different tribes, and also
of the great difference in their language, as the strangers could hold no
conversation with the people from Port Essington, who, when they found
their own dialect was not understood, tried to explain themselves in such
few words of broken English as were then used at the colony, and seemed
very much surprised at their want of success. A large mess of boiled
rice, which had been prepared by way of a feast for the newcomers, was
then produced; but it was not before they saw their countrymen eagerly
devouring it that they could be induced to eat, as they evidently did not
know what it was. The result of Lieutenant Vallack's visit is hostile to
the idea entertained that clothes given to natives at Port Essington pass
into the interior, which I always much doubted. Had the fence before
alluded to by me been run across the neck, and an out-station formed
there, we should have had further acquaintance with the natives of the
main, besides other advantages that would necessarily have