5

(5) [centred] 12 [written in pencil]

our first intercourse - Such confidence had they that
two of their principal men on one occasion returned
with use [us] to Cape York, and seven on another - The
latter were detained longer than was expected as I had
to take some natives who had been cast away in a
canoe back to their own island, so that it was three
weeks before the Marbiack men could get home.
The joy at their return was great; nearly the whole
population of the island flocked down to the beach
and crowded into and around it the boat. Their wives
brought their youngest children and placed them in
the arms of the men, who fondled them in the boat
while relating the wonders they had seen. What ap-
peared to have struck them most during their stay
was the shooting of a bullock, for though they had
most likely heard of the effects of fire arms [firearms], they had
evidently never witnessed their power, and could
not understand how so large a beast could be so
easily killed.

One day while waiting the favorable [favourable] time
for fishing I occupied myself in taking down the names
of the tribe and afterwards calling them over. In this
manner I got the names of the whole male population
amounting to 114 persons. I also collected a short vocab-
ulary of their language which closely resembles that
of the Prince of Wales islanders.

A physiognomist would probably form
a low estimate of the character of the Gamaleega* from
the low type of countenance so frequently met with,
in which cunning and cruelty are strongly depicted;
but as regards affection for their children, intelligence
and energy, which latter quality was to me their
principal recommendation, they far surpass all
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* Name of tribe inhabiting Jervis island.