In the Gulf of Carpentaria we did not observe any other than the gray slug."* (*Footnote.

Flinders volume 2 page 231.) After having fished along the coast to the eastward until the westerly monsoon breaks up, they return, and by the last day of May each detached fleet leaves the coast without waiting to collect into one body.

On their return they steer North-West, which brings them to some part of Timor, from whence they easily retrace their steps to Macassar, where the Chinese traders meet them and purchase their cargoes.

At this time (1818) the value of the trepang was from forty to fifty dollars a picol;* so that if each vessel returns with 100 picols of trepang, her cargo will be worth 5000 dollars.

Besides trepang, they trade in sharks' fins and birds' nests, the latter being worth about 3000 dollars the picol.
(*Footnote.