His enticing the people of Macassar to come and locate there, was another instance of his foresight, which would have led in time to very favourable results.  He was soon, however, compelled to retract his invitation, writing from Coepang to the Dutch Governor of Macassar, in order to stop the immigration, which otherwise would have been considerable.  With all these several elements of success, we should doubtless, but for the abandonment, have now had a flourishing settlement in Northern Australia.  The causes which led to its breaking up, are thus succinctly given by Dr. Wilson.  “The alleged causes were:  first, the unhealthiness of the climate; secondly, the hostility of the natives; and thirdly, the non-visitation of the Malays.”

These he clearly proved, as we have subsequently done, to be without much foundation; but we ourselves do not so much deplore the leaving of Raffles Bay, perhaps an ill-chosen site, but rather that the settlement was not removed instead of being given up.  When the anxieties and difficulties which universally accompany the formation of a new settlement are reflected on, the regret we have already expressed will be more easily understood.  When Port Essington was located, all these had to be suffered over again; whereas had the station at Raffles Bay, been transferred thither at once, it would have been now at a very high pitch of perfection.  Besides, however small the spot on which the English flag waves constantly, it will always prove a check on the marauding propensities of the neighbouring islanders, and thus add materially to the general welfare and civilization of such portions of the globe as fall within the influence of the respected locality.*

(Footnote.  In further proof of the prospects of success, which were open to the new settlement under its able Commandant, we give the following extract from Dr. Wilson’s journal, when at Coepang, in company with Captain Barker, after their final departure from Raffles Bay.  “We were informed by the master of the Mercus, that many Chinese were about to emigrate from Java to Raffles Bay, having recently learned that they would be permitted to do so.  The total abandonment of the North coast of New Holland caused much regret to the mercantile people here, as they had anticipated great advantages from a commercial intercourse.’  Wilson’s Narrative page 179.)

LEAVE PORT ESSINGTON.

July 24.

Finding that we could not procure a supply of provisions from the settlement, our stay was necessarily, though reluctantly, of short duration, and on the morning of the 24th, we were accordingly running out of Port Essington.  After rounding Vashon Head, we steered to the westward, along the northern side of the Peninsula, and early in the afternoon anchored in Popham Bay, one point of which is formed by the North-West extreme of the Peninsula, a low projection with one tall mangrove growing on the point, and fronted by an extensive coral reef, past which a two-knot tide sweeps into the gulf of Van Diemen.  On the eastern side of this projection is a snug boat or small-craft harbour, much frequented by the Malays, who call it Blue-mud Bay.  It may be recognized by a little island lying off its mouth.