aken , ▁and ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁soil , ▁though ▁cl ay ey , ▁was ▁well - dra ined ▁and ▁more ▁suitable ▁to ▁agricult ure ▁than ▁anything ▁he ▁had ▁seen ▁previously ▁in ▁the ▁Top ▁End . ▁They ▁investig ated ▁the ▁East ▁and ▁South ▁All ig ator ▁rivers ▁without ▁finding ▁anything ▁useful , ▁then ▁turned ▁west ward , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁im pressed ▁with ▁the ▁har bour ▁at ▁Port ▁Dar win , ▁and ▁found ▁that ▁Point ▁Em ery ▁had ▁all ▁the ▁practical ▁requ is ites ▁for ▁a ▁settlement : ▁good ▁water ▁could ▁be ▁had ▁by ▁s inking ▁well s , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁large ▁area ▁of ▁table land ▁with ▁fine ▁sea ▁views . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁the ▁Government ▁decided ▁to ▁recall ▁M anton ▁and ▁his ▁men , ▁as ▁there ▁was ▁nothing ▁they ▁could ▁do ▁while ▁McK in lay ▁was ▁expl oring ▁and ▁the ▁Be atrice ▁was ▁away ▁except ▁protect ▁themselves ▁and ▁their ▁stores ▁from ▁dep red ations ▁from ▁the ▁Ab orig ines . ▁The ▁settlement ▁at ▁Es cape ▁Cl iffs ▁was ▁abandoned ▁and ▁all ▁remaining ▁personnel ▁sa iled ▁away ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁ste amer ▁E agle , ▁Captain ▁Hill , ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁January ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁trans sh ipped ▁to ▁the ▁Rang ati ra ▁in ▁Sydney , ▁and ▁arrived ▁in ▁Ad ela ide ▁on ▁ 4 ▁February ▁ 1 8 6 7 . ▁ ▁Personal ▁M anton ▁was ▁a ▁regular ▁wor sh i pper ▁at ▁St ▁Michael ' s ▁( Ang lic an )