He was instantly recognised by the Malays, who had occasionally seen natives of Australia returning with the Macassar proas from the north coast, as a marega,* much to his annoyance.

As soon as the proas had reached a sufficient distance to leeward, we got under sail; and on rounding the south point of the bay, and opening the strait, the remaining proas of the fleet that we had previously seen, were observed at anchor close to a sandy beach on the north shore, and their canoes to the number of twenty were fishing on the opposite side of the strait.

The presence of a fleet of Malay proas in the roads has been before mentioned; it had just returned from an unsuccessful voyage on the south coast of Timor in search of trepang.

Early the following morning we sailed out of Port Essington, and passing round its western head, which was named out of respect to my friend Admiral Vashon, we hauled into a bay where a Malay encampment was observed upon the beach, with several proas at anchor close to it; but, as the place offered us no inducement to delay, we steered round the next head, and hauled into another bay, apparently about four miles deep and two broad.