I remained in the Cook district for two years, previous to embarking for the home of the Papuans.
Before taking the reader over with me, let me introduce him to Cooktown, which is a fair type of a Northern Colonial Township.
Cooktown is situated on the Endeavour River in lat. 15° 30′ south, and long. 145° east.
It derives its name from the immortal Captain Cook, who visited the site on which it stands in or about the year 1770, and beached his vessel, named the Endeavour, on the north shore, which is on the opposite side of the harbour to the town.
The vessel had sprung a leak, so Captain Cook chose a suitable spot where there was little surf, in order to make the necessary repairs.
How different was its appearance from that of the present time. Then, everything was in its primeval state. Crowds of savages lined the north shore, and interfered with Captain Cook's men in their work. The sailors had often to keep them back by force of arms.
Even at the present day, blacks are living there, but their numbers are sadly reduced.
Occasionally the monotony of their existence is varied by fights with the Normanby River blacks, who are more warlike and numerous, and who periodically make raids on them. Spears are then to be seen flying in all directions, and after several days' severe fighting, in which one or two are killed, and maybe one or two wounded, peace is once more restored, and the belligerent party returns to its river haunts.
The blacks of North Queensland are, without exception, the lowest type of humanity on the face of the earth.
They are almost on a level with the brute creation. They are naturally very lazy, and it is only the pangs of hunger that induce them to make any exertion to procure food.