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of March, 1881, tlie northern territory exported 10,107^ ounces,
valued at il’36,227.
I was told that at the time of our visit there were only two
genuine squatters in the whole northern territory. From their
stations is drawn the beef supply for the people living at Port
Darwin, Southport, and the gold-fields, and it would seem that
the supply was quite equal to the demand. Most of the land in
the territory is now held on lease by speculators, who pay to the
South Australian Government an annual rental of sixpence per
square mile, which gives them, under certain conditions, a right
of pre-emption, and these speculators now hold on to the land
with a view to ultimately disposing of their interest to bond fide
settlers at a large profit to themselves. But until the Colonial
Government takes the initiative in affording facilities for the
conveyance of produce from the interior to Port Darwin, there
seems little likelihood of the land being taken up for either agricultural
or pastoral purposes.
The aboriginal inhabitants are numerous in this part of
Australia. Those in the vicinity of Port Darwin are of the
tribe of “ Larikias.” In company with Dr. Morice, the government
medical officer, I visited two native encampments, which
were situated a few hundred yards apart, and at a distance of
about half-a-mile from the settlement. One of the camps was
on an elevated plateau, covered with thin grass and a sprinkling
of scraggy bushes, while the other was at the foot of a high cliff,
and immediately adjoining the beach. We found in camp a large
number of men, women, and children, most of whom were lolling
about on the ground, smoking short wooden pipes, polishing their
skins with red ochre, and producing a rude burlesque of music
out of pieces of hollow reed about four feet long, which they blew
like cowhorns. The stature of the men was much superior to
that of the natives vve had seen previously on the east coast; but
although strong and active, they presented a slim lanky appearance,
especially as regards their lower extremities. Their features