Abstract
A journal describing a voyage undertaken between September and December 1875 around Arnhem Land from Palmerston to Blue Mud Bay and back again is presented. In itself, the expedition is of only passing interest but the journal is worth publishing for its many references to Aborigines, and especially for the picture that emerges of the results of contact with Macassan trepangers along this extensive stretch of coast. Better than any other early source, it illustrates the highly variable conditions of communication and conflict between the several groups of people in the area. Some Aborigines were accustomed to travelling and working with Macassans and, as the author notes towards the end of his account, Aboriginal culture and society were extensively influenced by this contact. He also comments on situations of conflict. Relations with Europeans and other Aborigines were similarly complicated and uncertain, as appears in several instances.
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