"Cape York is a sort of emporium of savage weapons and ornaments. Pearl shell-gathering vessels (“Pearl-shellers” as they are called) come to Somerset with crews which they have picked up at all the islands in the neighbourhood, from New Guinea, and from all over the Pacific, and they bring weapons and ornaments from all these places with them. Moreover, the Murray Islanders visit the port in their canoes, and bring bows and arrows, drums, and such things for barter.The water police stationed at Somerset deal in these curiosities, buying them up and selling them to passengers in the passing steamers, or to other visitors. Hence all kinds of savage weapons have found their way into English collections, with the label “ Cape York,” and the Northern Australians have got credit for having learnt the use of the bow-and-arrow. I believe that no Australian natives use the bow at all.Weapons from very remote places, find their way to Cape York, and thus no doubt the first specimens of Admiralty Island javelins reached English museums. Accurate determination of locality is of course essential to the interest of savage weapons. Staff-Surgeon Maclean, of the “ Challenger,” had a large New Guinea drum of the Crocodile form thrust upon his acceptance, as a fee for visiting a patient on board one of the “Pearl-shellers”; he gave it to me."