Here for the first time I saw web-footed birds perched in trees.
The blacks had a very peculiar method of catching water-fowl.

They would simply wade through the reeds into the water almost up to their necks, and then cover their heads with a handful of reeds.

Remaining perfectly still, they would imitate the cry of different wild-fowl.

Then at a convenient opportunity, they would simply seize a goose or a duck by the leg, and drag it down under the water until it was drowned.

The number of water-fowl caught in this way by a single black fellow was truly astonishing.
After having remained a fortnight at Port Essington itself, we returned to Raffles Bay, where Yamba and I made a camp among the blacks and took up our residence among them; for Captain Davis had told me that ships called there occasionally, and it was possible that one might call soon from Port Darwin.