They were each armed with one, and some with two, spears, and pieces of stick about eight feet long and pointed at both ends.

It was used after the manner of the Pacific Islanders, and the throwing-stick so much in use by the natives of the south did not appear known to them.
After talking loud, and using very extravagant gestures, without any of our party replying, the youngest threw a stone, which fell close to the boat.
...
COINCIDENCE OF CUSTOMS.
It appears to me very probable that the same dark-coloured race inhabit the whole of Northern Australia, and perhaps extend over the islands in Torres Strait.
In order to support this opinion I shall first give an extract from the journal of Dr.Duncan, from Wilson's Voyage round the World, page 148, which contains a detail of the customs of Flinders Islands and part of Northern Australia, and displays two or three remarkable customs coinciding with those observed by myself and others to exist in Northwest Australia: At 8 hours 40 minutes P.M.the colonial brig Mary arrived, bringing along with her a native of India, whom she picked up on one of Flinders Islands.
On the 18th July the Lascar came on board the Success, and from him I learned the following particulars: That he belonged to the ship Fame, which was wrecked in the Straits; that he and a few others escaped in a leaky boat after rowing for forty-eight hours.

On landing the natives stripped them of their clothes, etc., but otherwise behaved very kindly to them.

His companions in misfortune died the first year of his residence amongst the natives, which in all amounted, he said, to six or seven years.
The men in that part of Australia have from five to ten wives, of whom they are rather jealous at times.

The tribes are continually at war with one another, and have regular pitched battles; but the moment that one is killed on either side, the battle ceases, until they carry off their dead, and mourn for certain days, according to their custom; bedaubing themselves over with black earth, and on another day the fight begins and ends in a similar way.
...
DISPOSAL OF THEIR DEAD.
This is singularly analogous to what occurred on our encounter with them on the 11th February.