The Tide Being In, And It Being Very Late When The Salt-Water Creek Was Reached, The Brothers Determined To Camp With Their Newly-Made Friends At Their Main Camp, And Accordingly Followed Them For About Two Miles, When They Again Hit The Salt Creek.

Here three large canoes were moored to the mangroves, the largest was about 28 feet long, and 30 inches wide, cut out of the solid butt of some large tree, and very neatly finished.

The tent was pitched, but not made much use of, for after dark the travellers left it and camped separately, each keeping vigilant watch all night. The natives spent it very differently, and, whether in honor of the whites, or in anticipation of picking their bones (it might have been either) they held high corroboree till about midnight, keeping up a fearful din, in which two large drums formed a prominent part. The name of this kind of drum is "Waropa" or "Burra Burra," and it is procured in barter or war from the Islanders of Torres Straits, who frequently visit the continent. It is neatly made of a solid piece of wood scooped out, in shape like an elongated dice box. One end is covered with the skin of a snake or iguana, the other being left open. When this instrument is played upon by a muscular and excited "nigger," a music results which seems to please him in proportion to its intensity; keeping time with these, and aiding with their voices, they kept up their wild dance varying the chant with the peculiar b-r-r-r-r-r-r-oo, of the Australian savage (a sound made by "blubbering" his thick lips over his closed teeth,) and giving to their outstretched knees the nervous tremor peculiar to the corroboree.

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