Pecheurs de Tripang a La Baie Raffles.

Rare lithograph of Dumont D’Urville at Raffles Bay which is at the eastern end of the Cobourg Peninsula. Raffles Bay was the site of the second abortive attempt at settlement on the northern coastline of Australia. It was named by Phillip Parker King in 1818 after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore. Like Flinders before him, d’Urville made contact with the Maccassar trepang (sea cucumber) fishing fleet and visited their encampment. The French arrived at the Victoria Settlement, commonly known as Port Essington, only five months after its establishment. The government intended that Port Essington be established as a major trading port like Singapore. Unfortunately, this attempt also failed and the settlement was finally abandoned in 1849.

From D’Urville, Voyage au Pole Sud et dans L’Oceanie.