These people were wretched specimens of their race, lean and lanky, and one was suffering from ophthalmia, looking quite a miserable object; they had come here in search of turtle--as I understood.

Each of the men had lost a front tooth, and one had the oval cicatrix on the right shoulder, characteristic of the northern natives, an imitation of that of the islanders.

They showed little curiosity, and trembled with fear, as if suspicious of our intentions.

I made a fruitless attempt to pick up some scraps of their language; they understood the word powd or peace of Torres Strait.
On this island the principal trees are the leafless Erythrina, with waxy, pink flowers.

Great numbers of pigeons resorted here to roost.