which a voyage of this kind brought before him.' The _Nemesis_ steamer
underweigh puzzled him at first; he then thought it was 'all same big
cart, only got him shingles (wooden roofing-tiles, so called) on
wheels!' Neinmal spoke of his countrymen as 'big fools,' and held
white men in such estimation, that he volunteered for a voyage to
England; but having been prevented, returned to Port Essington, where
he learned to read and write. His superiority rendered him obnoxious
to the older members of his family; and one day, while on a visit to
his tribe, 'he was roused from sleep to find himself surrounded by a
host of savages thirsting for his blood. They told him to rise, but he
merely raised himself upon his elbow, and said: "If you want to kill
me, do so where I am; I won't get up. Give me a spear and club, and
I'll fight you all one by one!" He had scarcely spoken, when he was
speared from behind; spear after spear followed, and as he lay
writhing on the ground, his savage murderers literally dashed him to
pieces with their clubs.'

In June 1849, the _Rattlesnake_ and _Bramble_ were at work in the
Louisiade Archipelago, finding out the safest channels and anchorages
among its numerous rocks, shoals, and reefs. The natives of some of
the islands had never seen Europeans before, yet seemed little
inclined to acknowledge the superiority of their visitors. They
manifested but little alarm on witnessing the effects of firearms; and
on one occasion attacked two of the ship's boats with a courage and
self-reliance extraordinary under the circumstances. In general
characteristics, they resemble the Torres Strait islanders: some of
them friz their hair up into a mop two feet in diameter, wear a comb
nearly a yard long, and bunches of dogs' teeth hanging behind, by way
of ornament, and take no little pride in adorning their persons with
paint and tattoo-marks, and flowers and plants of strong odour.