The Voyage to Marege'

This book throws open an entirely new window upon Australian history. Almost a century before Captain Cook voyaged along Australia’s north-east coast, sailors from Asia were frequent visitors to Marege’ (as they called the region) and had even established an industry there. Men from Macassar made the long and dangerous voyage to gather and to dry the trepang (beche-de-mer or sea slug) so prized as a culinary delicacy by the Chinese. Trade between Australia and China thus was already old, long…