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diff --git a/27099.txt b/27099.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8145d1c --- /dev/null +++ b/27099.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5275 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Reminiscences of Queensland, by William Henry Corfield + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Reminiscences of Queensland + 1862-1869 + +Author: William Henry Corfield + +Release Date: October 30, 2008 [EBook #27099] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REMINISCENCES OF QUEENSLAND *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Wall, Meredith Bach and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: THE AUTHOR. 1890.] + + + Reminiscences + of Queensland + 1862-1899. + + BY + + W. H. CORFIELD. + + BRISBANE: + A. H. FRATER, + INNS OF COURT, ADELAIDE STREET. + + 1921 + + + + + Printed by + H. Pole & Co. Limited, + Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. + + + + + To the Men and Women of the North + and West. + + To those who Blazed the Trail, and to + those who Followed. + + + + +FOREWORD + + +The reasons for this book are as follow:--Whilst +talking over early days with Mr. Courtenay-Luck, +the popular Secretary of the Commercial Travellers' +Club, that gentleman suggested that I should write +a paper, to be read at a meeting of the Historical +Society of Queensland. + +In writing that paper, so many long-forgotten +men, places and incidents came back to memory +that I thought my reminiscences might prove +interesting to others. I may be occasionally incorrect +in dates, or in the sequence of events, but I relate +facts and personal experiences. As they are, I leave +them to the kind consideration of readers. + + +W. H. CORFIELD. + + _Sandgate, + October, 1920._ + + + + +Reminiscences of Queensland 1862-1899. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +As it is in the blood of most Englishmen from the "West Country" to seek +adventure abroad, it is little wonder that the visit of an uncle from +Australia strengthened a desire I felt to seek my fortune in that +country. This uncle--H. C. Corfield--was the owner of some pastoral +country in the Burnett district, and described in glowing terms life in +the Australian bush. I might say here this was not all it had been +painted, but that by the way. + +And so it happened that on a cold, foggy morning in February, 1862, I +found myself with an old schoolmate--George Custard--on board of, as it +was then customary to advertise, "the good ship, 'City of Brisbane,' +1,100 tons burthen, 'Neville,' Master," which lay in Plymouth Sound, +waiting her final complement of passengers for Queensland. + +Mr. Henry Jordan, who was representing the Colony, came on board to +address the passengers, who, he said, were going to a land of promise, +where in the evening of his life, a man--as the reward of his +labour--would sit in the shade of his own fig tree and enjoy the rest he +had earned. + +Soon the capstan was manned, and the anchor lifted to the old chantey: + + For tinkers, and tailors, and lawyers, and all, + Way! Aye! Blow the men down! + They ship for real sailors, aboard the Black Ball, + Give me some time to blow the men down. + Blow, boys, blow, to Californeo-o-! + There's plenty of gold, so we've been told, + On the banks of Sacremento! + +This we found was our good-bye to England, and, towed out by a tug, we +commenced our long voyage to Australia. When well clear of the land, the +tug dropped us, and with a favourable breeze, we made quick passage to +the entrance of the channel. + +By this time most of the passengers were suffering the usual +disabilities felt by landsmen for the first few days at sea. I soon +gained my sea legs, and was able to take a view of my surroundings. + +Here we were--365 human beings, who would be cooped up for weeks in a +sailing ship, and with as many different characters, sympathies and +antipathies, one wondered if it could be possible to live long with +harmony and unselfishness in such daily crowded contact. I suppose we +were representative of the many, who, whether in the poop or steerage of +similar ships, were looking hopefully towards the far off, +not-long-named southern colony, which was becoming known to the people +of Great Britain. + +I was just nineteen, and all things looked bright and cheerful, but I +was impatient for the time when, on a bounding steed, I would be +scouring the plains, following the sheep and cattle on my uncle's +property where, as an employee, I was to begin my adventures. + +After a passage of 137 days, spent either in glorious runs before +favouring winds, wearisome calms, or battling against heavy gales, we +arrived in Moreton Bay, and in due course at Brisbane. + +The city, as it was in 1862, has so often been described, that it is +unnecessary for me to say anything as to its appearance. All I need say +is that it did not enter my mind to anticipate its growth and +importance. + +Our ship's surgeon was Dr. Margetts, who, for many years afterwards, +practised his profession at Warwick. It is to his credit that we had no +deaths on the voyage, but immediately after landing, a little girl +passenger died. I helped to dig her grave on the ridges somewhere out +towards Fortitude Valley. My destination was "Stanton Harcourt," 55 +miles north-west from Maryborough, which my uncle held as a station. He +was taking an active part in the great developments which, at this time, +were being carried out by the squatters. I was directed by my uncle's +agents, George Raff and Co., to engage five or six of the immigrants as +shepherds. These accompanied me to Maryborough by the old steamer +"Queensland." On arrival at Maryborough the shepherds were taken charge +of by the local agents, and I was instructed to ride on to the station. +I left Maryborough alone the same afternoon, but had not gone far when I +found I was bushed. Riding back I struck the main road, and followed it +to the public house at the Six-mile, which was a favourite camping place +for carriers. My new-chum freshness immediately attracted the attention +of the bullock-drivers camped there, who told me of the dangers I would +meet from the blacks, unless I propitiated them by generous gifts of +tobacco. + +These stories so much impressed me that I bought a large quantity of +tobacco from the publican. After that, when I saw any blacks, even if +off the road, I would ride over and give some tobacco, which surprised +and amused them considerably. I arrived at the public house, at a place +known as "Musket Hat," in time for dinner. A gentleman who knew my uncle +happened to be there, and whilst waiting for dinner, said, "Come out, +and I will show you a good racehorse." Outside a horse was being groomed +by a man, who took some pains to describe his good points. I appreciated +the man's kindness, and on leaving handed him a shilling to buy a drink. +This he took with a smile, and thanked me. I felt somewhat small when my +friend told me that I had tipped the owner of the horse himself, and +that he would tell the joke in such a way that it would be long before I +forgot it, and this proved to be so. + +Towards sundown, my friend left me at the turn off of the main road. My +first ride through Australian bush was very lonely, and I was very +timid. I heard what sounded like revolver shots, loud shouting, and +much swearing. This I learned later was the ordinary language used when +driving bullocks, while what I took to be revolver shots, was the +cracking of bullock-whips. At the time I imagined a battle was being +fought with bushrangers, but it turned out that it was merely the +station bullock teams going to Maryborough for stores, and to bring up +the hands engaged by me, with their belongings. + +I found the station in charge of a manager, and that my uncle had gone +north in search of new country for the sheep. Grass seed and foot rot +were playing havoc with the sheep on "Stanton Harcourt." Shortly after +my arrival, 1,000 head of cattle purchased from White, of Beaudesert, +reached the station. In those days pounds were unknown, and I now had my +first experience in drafting cattle in an open yard. An old cow, +evidently knowing that I was raw, came at me, and would have caught me, +but that my hat fell off and attracted her attention. She impaled the +hat instead of me. My next lesson was in bullock driving. I was sent +with two loads of wool to Maryborough, having a black boy to drive one +team, and another boy to muster the bullocks. These would not allow the +black boys to go near them to yoke up, so I had to do this for both +teams. After capsizing my dray three times on the road, and pulling down +a fence in the town, I delivered the wool. The blacks had a short time +before stuck up several drays, and carried the loading in their canoes +across the river. + +On the far side there was a dense scrub through which it was difficult +to track them. My boys said I would be stuck up when passing this spot, +so I rode on the dray, carrying a loaded revolver. However, I was not +molested, probably due to the fact that, unknown to me, Lieutenant +Wheeler with his troopers were at the moment busy among the blacks. + +My uncle had returned before me, but had not been successful in securing +country. When lambing came on, Custard and I were sent out without any +special instructions to lamb a flock of ewes. Following the strong mob +back to the yards in the evening, the lambs tried my temper. I provided +myself with stones, and being a fairly good shot, I reduced the +percentage of lambs to some extent. + +One night there was a great stampede in the yard, and thinking it was a +dingo among the sheep, I went out with a gun. Seeing an object moving in +the dark, I fired both barrels, and the supposed dingo fell. I had shot +one of the ration sheep which had been dropped during the day. Being +without any control or instructions in regard to the sheep, we decided +our working hours to be--rise at 7 a.m., breakfast at 7.30, start work +at 8. The sheep remained in the yard until the last-mentioned hour. +This did not improve their condition. One morning my uncle arrived +before we had turned out, and expressed himself strongly upon the +laziness of new chums in general. Excusing ourselves by the fact that it +was not yet seven did not calm the atmosphere. My uncle was one who +insisted upon plenty of time for a long day's work. I very quickly +learned the value of early rising in the bush, and in the interest of +the sheep, when necessary, to go without breakfast. + +I remember my first night alone in the bush. I was sent to an +out-station with 300 sheep, and a black boy to assist in driving them. +At sundown I could see nothing of the hut. I had read that fires would +keep off native dogs or dingoes. I tied my horse to a tree, and gathered +wood, forming a ring of fires around the sheep. The black boy said +something to me in his own language. Thinking he asked me if he should +bring some more wood, I replied with the only word I knew, "Yewi." After +a little time I missed the boy, and cooeed for him. He replied as from a +distance. I wondered why he had gone so far when there was plenty of +wood close by. He did not return, and it was not long before my horse +broke away. All night was spent walking around the sheep. What weird +sounds I heard, and what strange shapes I saw moving. When one is alone +in the bush at night, even after years of experience, the imagination is +apt to run riot. Especially is it so at midnight and towards the small +hours of the morning. At daylight the sheep commenced to move. I +followed them, carrying my saddle and bridle. About mid-day one of the +station boys found me, and inquired why I sent the black boy home. It +then dawned on me why I had been left alone. The boy had asked to be +allowed to go home, and I had said "Yewi"--yes. I suppose I was only +undergoing the usual bush experience of the new chum, and had a good +deal to learn, but I was undoubtedly learning. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +Following the cotton strike in England during 1863, a large number of +Lancashire operatives emigrated to Australia. As the station needed +shepherds, the agents in Brisbane were instructed to engage two married +couples and three single men. I was despatched with a black boy, three +horses and a dray, to bring them from Maryborough. Their luggage filled +the dray, but I managed to find room for the two women and the children. +The others had to walk. The first day out we reached Mr. Helsham's +station at South Doongal. He allotted me an empty hut for the party. At +dinner that evening I told him and the overseer how very frightened the +emigrants were of the blacks. "Is that so," he said. "Well, we will try +them to-night after the boys have had their evening corroborree." A +number of blacks were camped there at the time, so he sent word to his +station boys to come up. When they did so, he told them to surround the +hut, and yell out, "Kill 'em white fella, kill 'em white Mary." We went +down to see what we thought was fun. I never had to run harder than I +did to reach the station before the new chums, who streamed out of the +hut in their night attire, and made for the house. I had the greatest +difficulty in pacifying them. They refused to return to the hut, and +camped on the verandah, the single men remaining on watch. + +After their flight from the hut, the pigs appropriated their rations +which confirmed their belief in a narrow escape from wholesale +slaughter. I felt sorry for the joke, more particularly as for the +remainder of the journey they would not leave the dray, or go for water, +unless the black boy or I went with them. As shepherds these men were +not a success. They were invariably losing sheep, adding to my +responsibility as overseer. + +In September of that year, I had my first experience of +shearing--getting through 20 the first day. It was back-aching and +wrist-breaking work, and I longed for the day when I went out with the +ration pack-horse. + +In those days the sheep were hand-washed in a water hole, in which we +worked up to our middle all day. The blacks had to be watched very +closely, as, if opportunity offered, they would catch a sheep's hind leg +with their toes, and drown the animal, expecting they would get the +meat. I detected them in the act, so I burnt the carcase. This put an +end to the practice. Mustering and branding the cattle followed the +shearing, and these were much livelier occupations. We had a heavy wet +season in that year, and I had plenty of opportunities to gain +experience in flooded creeks. About April, 1863, Edward Palmer (years +afterwards M.L.A. for Carpentaria), who was in charge of his uncle's +station "Eureka," four miles from "Stanton Harcourt," started with the +sheep depasturing there for the Gulf country. He eventually settled at +Canobie, on the Williams River, a tributary of the Cloncurry. + +In September one of the new shepherds absconded, leaving his sheep in +the yard at an out-station. I was instructed by my uncle to take out a +summons, and applied to Mr. W. H. Gaden, a neighbouring squatter, for +it. The summons was sent to Maryborough for service. In due time I had +to appear as prosecutor. The man had engaged a solicitor, who, when the +case was called on, applied for a discharge, as the summons did not +state it was sworn to, but only signed W. H. Gaden, J.P. The man was +discharged on these grounds. I was not sorry. He was useless as a +shepherd, but through him I had obtained an enjoyable ride to +Maryborough with all expenses paid. + +My uncle in the meantime had again started out to seek new country for +the sheep, and engaged Mr. Walter Carruthers, of Carruthers and Wood, +Rocky Springs station, Auburn River, to take charge of the mob of +12,000, leaving instructions that they were to start before the end of +1864. + +Great preparations were required to equip the party. We were taking 30 +saddle horses, two bullock teams, and one horse team. In addition to the +stores, we had to provide all sorts of tools, etc., to build and form a +new station. + +I preferred to drive one of the bullock teams. My duties on arrival at +camp were to erect a tent and two iron stretchers for Carruthers and +myself, take my watch every night from three to daylight, and then to +muster the bullocks. In the case of dry stages I also had to take water +to the men. + +When passing through Gayndah I purchased tobacco from John Connolly (who +died lately at the very great age of 102 years), and for which I had to +pay L1 per pound. + +When we came to the Dawson River, near Mrs. McNabb's station, it was in +flood. We felled a big tree across the stream, and with boughs and other +timber, improvised a bridge. For three days we were working in our +shirts only, getting the sheep and--when the water fell--the teams +across. Mosquitoes, sandflies, and a hot sun made us nearly raw. Along +this road Carruthers had his favorite horse "Tenby" stolen. He had hung +the animal up to the verandah post of a wayside public house, to see the +sheep and teams pass. After they had gone by, and while Carruthers was +having a drink, a man jumped on the horse and galloped away. Carruthers +walked on to the sheep, got a fresh horse, and with our black boy +followed the thief until they came to the spot where, in a piece of +scrub, he had pulled the mane and tail of the horse to alter its +appearance. Darkness coming on, they had to abandon further pursuit. The +horse was a very fine chestnut. A new saddle and bridle, a pouch +containing cheque book and revolver, were taken with him, so the robber +had a good haul. There were no telegraph stations out back in those +days. + +When passing Apis Creek, near the Mackenzie River, I met a man named +Christie, whom I afterwards learnt was Gardiner, the ex-bushranger. We +passed through Taroom, Springsure, on to Peak Downs station, where we +essayed a short cut on to the Cotherstone road, but when we had got +half-way, the owner made us turn back. I had a very rough time driving +the leading dray through the loose, black soil, and was glad to get back +on the road, which was well beaten by the teams carrying copper from +Clermont to Broadsound. + +We eventually reached Lord's Table Mountain, where we had permission to +remain, whilst I took the drays into Clermont to be repaired, and to +obtain an additional supply of rations. Whilst staying at Winter's +Hotel, I met Griffin, the warden--afterwards hanged for shooting the +troopers guarding the gold escort, of which he was in charge. + +I also met Fitzmaurice, destined in after years to become my partner in +the far west. He had brought in drays from Surbiton station to be +repaired. + +Carruthers then rented some country from Rolfe, on Mistake Creek, on +which to shear the sheep. I shore 800. My salary was now L80 per year, +for which I acted as overseer, bookkeeper, and giving a hand as general +utility at all kinds of work. After shearing, the sheep were taken down +to Chambers' Camp, on the same creek, whilst I took the wool to Port +Mackay. When crossing the Expedition Range, before reaching Clermont, on +my way from Mistake Creek, I rode over to a small diggings to purchase +meat. The only butcher was a man named Jackson, whose wife served me. +She was a fine, comely woman, whom I afterwards met on the Lower Palmer, +where her husband was keeping a store. He was burnt to death on +Limestone Creek on that river. Eventually, she married Thos. Lynett, a +packer from Cooktown to Edward's Town (as Maytown was popularly known), +and who, with Fitzmaurice and myself, was, in later years, one of the +founders of Winton, on the Western River. Mrs. Lynett lately died in +Winton at the ripe age of 84, her husband, Tom Lynett, having +pre-deceased her some years. Like most of the women who pioneered, she +had a grand heart, and I learnt how the diggers appreciated her motherly +kindness. + +The early wet season caught me at Boundary Creek, ten miles beyond Nebo. +I was stuck in a bog for five weeks, rain pouring the whole time. I +eventually delivered the wool, loaded up rations from Brodziak Bros., +and started on my return journey. In those days the range was in a +primitive state, and coming down my mate capsized his dray. While I was +assisting him, I had a Colt's revolver stolen off my dray, presumably by +some of the road party who were cutting down the steep parts. + +After crossing the range, the pleuro broke out amongst my bullocks, and +I lost one whole team. I went into Retreat station and purchased several +steers. The hot weather and heavy pulling soon killed these, leaving me +stranded on the Isaacs River. One day a squatter from North Creek +station rode up, and hearing my plight, said there was a team of +bullocks running on his country for several months. Who the owner was, +or where they came from, was unknown. Acting on his hint, I picked out +what I considered the best, and continued my journey to the sheep. +Having met my requirements, I turned the bullocks loose. In response to +enquiries, I denied that I was the owner of them; they had served my +purpose, and I was content to let well alone. + +The blacks were very bad, and continually worrying the men we had +shepherding. One of these was rather daft. One night the rams did not +return. I got on their tracks the next day and brought them to camp, but +there was no sign of the shepherd. Two evenings after we were surprised +to see a couple of Myalls bringing in the lost man. We gave the blacks +some tucker, and they left, but not before the shepherd, raising his +hat, said to them, "I thank you, gentlemen, most sincerely." His +eccentric manner had doubtless saved his life, as the coloured races +generally appear to respect a demented person. + +I had a very bad attack of fever and ague, and managed to ride into +Clermont, where I was treated by a chemist named Mackintosh, who kindly +allowed me to stay at his house. I shall never forget the kindness of +him and his wife in pulling me through. Carruthers in the meantime had +taken the sheep back to a creek which is still known as "Corfield's +Creek." There the lambing took place. + +We next moved down to Balgourlie Station, still on Mistake Creek, where +we had an early shearing, and left the wool to be taken by carriers to +Bowen. + +I now had my first experience of what was called in those days, +"Belyando Spew." Everything one ate came back again and no one seemed to +know of an antidote to what appeared to be a summer sickness. The gidya +around seemed to accentuate the complaint, until I became a walking +skeleton. + +In the meantime we received word that my uncle had purchased Clifton +Station from Marsh and Webster, of Mackay. + +This country was situated on a billabong 12 miles from Canobie, where +Edward Palmer, as I have previously mentioned, had settled down. + +The travelling away from the gidya scrubs down the Belyando River soon +dispelled all signs of the sickness. + +Previous to leaving Balgourlie Station we had lost a mob of horses, and +on our arrival at Mount McConnell Station, the two men who had been +despatched to look for them, returned without success. Carruthers then +sent me back with an Indian named "Balooche Knight" to make a search. We +had a riding horse each, and a pack horse to carry our blankets, tucker, +etc. After scouring all the scrubs on Mistake Creek, we arrived at +Lanark Downs Station, where a traveller informed me he had seen a number +of horses at Miclere Creek, 17 miles on the road to Copperfield. My +optimism suggested I should ask the owner of Lanark Downs to lend me a +fresh horse. He did so, and I rode away one morning, returning the same +evening with the whole of the 17 horses we had lost. I had now to travel +over one hundred miles to where I had left the sheep, which were still +continuing their journey. It was a most enjoyable ride with only one +drawback. The Indian's blankets and mine being together, I had gathered +a lively community in my head. Procuring a small tooth-comb at a +way-side place, I commenced operations, with the result that soon I had +quite a colony on a newspaper in front of me. With the aid of tobacco +water, I finally succeeded in driving the pests away. + +In following down the Belyando River, I proved my expertness as a +tracker by recognising the track of a bullock crossing the road. I did +not know the beast had been lost, but the peculiarity of the track, +caused by the hind feet touching the ground ahead of the fore feet, led +me to follow the tracks through a scrub, and there I found him camped. +We had over 60 miles to overtake the sheep, and as he could not keep up +with the horses, I had to leave him. + +We had passed St. Ann's and Mt. McConnell's Stations where Lieutenant +Fred Murray was stationed with his black trackers. Proceeding up the +Cape River, we overtook the sheep at Natal Downs, then owned by Wm. +Kellett. We left the Cape River here, and followed Amelia Creek through +a lot of spinifex country. + +On the third camp, in my early morning watch, I noticed several of the +sheep jumping. At daylight we found about 60 lying dead on the ground. +We learnt that they had been eating the poison bush which abounds +throughout what is designated as the "Desert Country." + +The leaf of this bush is shaped like an inverted heart, and in colour is +a very bright green. The flower resembles a pea blossom, and when in +bloom the bush is most deadly to all stock. This experience taught us to +be more careful, and in one place we cut a track through five miles of +it for the sheep to pass. + +When we reached Torren's Creek, we saw a water-hole containing the bones +of some 10,000 sheep which had perished from the same cause. They were a +portion of 20,000, which, we were informed, were in charge of a Mr. +Halloran, who had preceded us for the Flinders, and owned by a Mr. +Alexander. + +We afterwards passed a green flat, quite dry, but in the wet season +covered with water, called "Billy Webb's Lake." + +I was suffering from a severe attack of sandy blight in both eyes, so +had to ride a horse which was tied to the bullock dray. I was +_hors-de-combat_ for over a week. Not having any eye-water, the only +relief I could get was cold tea leaves at night. Both eyes were so +swollen that I was completely blind. Fortunately, we met the McKinlay +expedition returning from an unsuccessful search after Leichhardt. The +doctor gave me a bottle of his eye-water, which he informed me contained +some nitrate of silver; this he instructed me how to use, and I soon +regained my eye-sight, but the eyes continued very weak. + +Shortly afterwards we met some travellers, and enquired how far it was +to the jump-up--meaning the descent from the plateau to the level +country at the head of the Flinders. They replied, "in two miles you +will be amongst the roly-poly." + +These we found were not stones, as we thought, but dry stumps of a weed +which grows on the open downs in the shape of a ball. The strong +trade-winds blow the plant away from its roots, and send it careering +over the downs, jumping for yards, and high in the air, frightening +one's horse when it gets between his hind legs, giving him the +impression that he had slept, and dreamt he was young again. + +We passed Hughenden Station, which had just been taken over by Mr. +Robert Gray from Mr. Ernest Henry, and camped the sheep where the town +of Hughenden now stands. + +We then had a long stage of fifteen miles to the bend of the river +without water. The remainder of our trip down the river was uneventful. +We passed Telemon (Stewart's), Marathon (then owned by Carson), Richmond +Downs (Bundock and Hayes), Lara (Donkin Brothers), and Canobie (Edward +Palmer). + +At Clifton, our destination, there was a fine water-hole two and a-half +miles long, trees on the banks were crowded with cockatoos, corellas, +with galahs in flocks on the plains. + +Work soon commenced in earnest, and progress made, in building a small +house, sheep yards, and the necessary improvements for a sheep station. +The country consisted of plains, with patches of scrub between, in which +there was abundance of salt-bush, all carrying good feed for the sheep. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +Mr. Carruthers' agreement to take charge of the sheep until they arrived +at their destination having expired, my uncle wrote me to take over the +station, and advised that if I remained in charge, he would increase my +salary to L200 per year. As Carruthers was anxious to return to his +station, I accepted the former, but replied that unless the pay for +managing was increased to L300 per year, to send someone at once to take +my place. + +In the meantime, the blacks had come into Canobie at night, and attacked +three men who were camped on the river, within sight of the station. +They killed two, and the third was left for dead. He was found to be +alive, and afterwards recovered from the severe battering he received. + +Palmer sent word asking me to send all the men I could spare to come +over to assist in hunting the murderers. I did so, Carruthers taking +charge of the armed party. + +A few days previous to this occurrence I had visited an out-station to +count the sheep, taking a man with me to help in repairing the yard. + +On returning after dark we passed a billabong, from which a very strong +stench, as if from decomposed vegetable matter, arose. The following +morning we both felt unwell, and vomited a good deal. The man with me +was much older than I, and succumbed to the sickness in nine days. + +After the party had left for Canobie, I was completely prostrated, and +had no medicine on hand except Epsom salts. During the night we (the +cook, a new-chum Cockney, and myself) heard voices down at the +water-hole, which we took as from a party of travelling Chinamen. In +the morning we found that, some of the blacks who were implicated in the +murder had doubled back, and had taken away every article of iron they +could find, our camp oven included, and my clothes, which had just been +washed. This so preyed on my mind that when the party returned, they +found me delirious. + +Mr. Carruthers, seeing the helpless state I was in, and the condition of +affairs generally, engaged Mr. Reg. Uhr to take charge on my behalf, +whilst he took me down to Burketown, distant 155 miles, in a cart, with +two horses. The road was almost deserted, and the blacks were very bad. +Carruthers would boil his billy at water-holes in the afternoon, and go +out to the centre of the plains to camp, with no bells on the horses. As +for myself, I was sick and weak. Not being able to eat damper or meat, I +was almost starved, lost all vitality, and cared little whether I +survived the trip or not. We had to cross the "Plains of Promise." These +consisted of an uninterrupted run of about 30 miles of devil-devil +country. It was a succession of small gutters and mounds, which, to a +sick man in a cart without springs, was intolerable. We arrived at +Burketown about November, 1866, and the public house was the only place +in which I could get accommodation. There I suffered all the nightly +noises incidental to a bush shanty. + +Burketown at this time was an almost new settlement, with a population +of about 50 whites, but the number of graves of those who died within +its short life from fever was more than twice as many, and increasing +daily. + +The Burketown fever was more virulent than any other I had hitherto or +since come in contact with, and was supposed to be a kind of yellow jack +fever, introduced by some vessel from Eastern countries. + +The danger of a second introduction of the same, or perhaps worse, +epidemic does not appear in these days to be realised in Australia. + +There was no doctor in the town, but a chemist named Peacock was +practising as one. Just as I arrived, Captain Cadell, in the old +"Eagle," arrived to send despatches of his explorations of the rivers on +the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, where the party had seen +numerous herds of buffaloes. + +Mr. Carruthers heard that there was a doctor with the expedition, and on +his interviewing him, the latter said he would see me, provided I paid +the fee to the resident doctor. This professional etiquette was agreed +to. The doctor took great pains in diagnosing my case, which he called +something between a gastric and jungle fever, and prescribed five grains +of calomel every night. This I found later to have loosened my teeth, +and 15 grains of quinine daily seriously affected my hearing. The local +chemist was then sent for. He felt my pulse, looked at my tongue, and +prescribed a box of Holloway's pills. I paid him his fee of one guinea, +but almost needless to say which advice I followed. + +I remained in Burketown about a fortnight, slowly recovering. Before +leaving I purchased a microscope which was for sale, and presented it to +the doctor of the expedition with sincere thanks for saving my life. +During the time I was in Burketown, Mr. Sharkey, Lands Commissioner, +came over from Sweers Island, and offered to submit my name for the +Commission of Peace, and said Mr. Landsborough, the Police Magistrate, +would swear me in. I declined the honour. + +When returning to Clifton Station we spent a week at Floraville Station, +on the Leichhardt River. Here I purchased stores for the station from +Mr. Borthwick, who was managing for Mr. J. G. Macdonald. At this station +there was a water-hole 25 miles long, and in bathing one would see +crocodiles basking on the rocks and bank, but they appeared to be +harmless. At the lower end of this hole there was a perpendicular drop +of over 40 feet, with a very deep hole at the foot, infested by sharks +and alligators. The tides came to this point. + +We called at Donor's Hill Station, where I first made the acquaintance +of the Brodie brothers, one of whom afterwards managed Nive Downs for a +number of years. The other--his twin brother--died in New South Wales +not long since, after a long and successful business career. At this +place I visited a cave containing many skulls of blacks, who had been +dispersed by the whites, after committing a series of depredations in +the district. I was told the cave was so dark that matches were lighted +to allow of aim being taken at the blacks during the dispersal. + +In later years, I have often thought what fortunes might have been won, +or lost, or the settlement of Western Queensland been advanced by years, +had the early seekers for pastoral country but known what was west of +the so-called desert country, and south of the Flinders. This could only +be learnt by forcing a way through the desert to the west instead of +skirting its edge and going north. As it was, we, in following the +Flinders down, were traversing some of the finest sheep country in the +world, and did not realise there were millions of acres lying to the +south, unknown, unowned. Ultimately, settlement of the west was affected +more from Rockhampton than from northern ports; extending as it did from +Springsure towards Tambo, Blackall, and thence north and north-west. + +It seems, however, the irony of fate that Townsville, which did little +or nothing towards the exploration or development of the country south +from the Flinders, has obtained the trade of that portion of Queensland. +But this is anticipating. + +Mr. J. F. Barry, who first took up the country on the head of the +Western River, was laughed at by residents of Blackall, when he rode in +to have his application registered, and described the country. So that +it might be recorded that his statements as to its quality would prove +correct, he called the country "Vindex," by which it is now known as one +of the finest sheep properties in Queensland. + +But let me quote from "_The Polar and Tropical Worlds_," written by two +scientists, one apparently a German, the other designated "Scientific +Editor of the American Cyclopedia." The book was published in 1877, +eleven years or more after the north-western country was becoming +occupied. + +In alluding to the great deserts of the world, these authorities +say:--"Perhaps the most absolute desert tract on the face of the globe +is that which occupies the interior of the great island, or as it may +not improperly be styled, 'Continent of Australia.' + +"The island has an area of something more than 3,000,000 of square +miles, nearly equal in extent to Europe. + +"For the greater part of its circumference, it is bounded by a +continuous range of mountains or highlands, nowhere rising to a +great height, and for long distances, consisting of plateaus or +tablelands. + +"There is, however, a continuous range of water-shed, which is +never broken through, and which never recedes any great distance +from the Coast. + +"The habitable portions of Australia are limited to the slopes of +the mountains, and the narrow space between them and the sea. The +interior, as far as is known, or as can be inferred from physical +geography, is an immense depressed plain more hopelessly barren and +uninhabitable than the great desert of Sahara." + +These authorities say more on this imaginary desert, but the quotation +is sufficient to show that even scientists do not know everything, +although one might believe that they did. + +I have not learnt that either Messrs. Landsborough or Phillips, who were +on the Diamantina in 1866, and crossed from that river over to the +Flinders, commented on the quality of the country through which they +travelled, and I can only explain that its naturally waterless state up +to early in the eighties prevented its value becoming known. + +During these years immense sums of money were spent in water +conservations by the Government of the day and Victorian investors, and +in a large measure without meeting success. + +When I went to Townsville in 1868, the principal, and also the first +carrier there, was a man named Courtney, who owned eight bullock teams. +He had been taking stores to the different stations on the Flinders as +that country was opened up. In conversation one day, he informed me that +some two or three years previously his bullocks had strayed many miles +across the downs from Richmond Downs. Seeing the beautiful sheep country +still extending to the south, he determined to explore it to learn if +there were any good water courses. Taking a pack horse with rations, he +started on a S.W. course until he found a large river running in a +southerly direction. A few miles further north the river runs from west +to east. He marked a tree with his initial C., and this was found long +afterwards to be on a water-hole between Kynuna and Dagworth. He +expected to realise money on his exploration, but the Diamantina country +was, as I have previously remarked, occupied by people coming from the +Central district. The route from Townsville through long stretches of +dry country was out of the running. + +In after years Courtney took to drink. Finally, after one of his bouts, +on leaving Normanton in an intoxicated condition, he camped at a +water-hole 10 miles out. His clothes were found, but not the body. It +was supposed that he had gone in for a swim, and that alligators, which +swarm in these holes, had taken him. I could not learn if he had given +any information as to the country, but I have no reason to doubt his +statements. + +After my return to Clifton, I was kept busy preparing for lambing. This +did not turn out very successful. The hot, scorching sun so scalded the +backs of the lambs, that the growth of wool was greatly retarded. + +After a month's hard work, I found myself so weak and depressed from the +fever that I decided to return to England. In the meantime, Carruthers +had left for his station on the Auburn River. + +I was relieved in mind, by a letter from my uncle, who informed me that +my request for a salary of L300 a year was exorbitant, and that he was +sending a Mr. Hawkes to take the station over from me. + +Soon after I was pleased to welcome this gentleman, and left for inside +with a young fellow named Carolan, who had been working on Canobie. My +uncle visited Clifton late in 1867, and decided to have the sheep boiled +down at the works owned by Mr. Harry Edkins, on the Albert River. + +During his stay at Burketown he became the guest of Mr. Surveyor Sharkey +on Sweers Island, and met Miss Huey, sister of Mrs. Edkins, late of +Mount Cornish Station, who became the second Mrs. Corfield. His first +wife was a Miss Murray, sister of the highly-respected Police +Magistrate, who died in Brisbane a few years ago, and also of the late +Inspector Fred Murray. Her death on Teebar, in 1853, so affected my +uncle that he sold the property for a nominal sum to his head stockman, +John Eaton. He then took up and formed Gigoomgan, which he soon after +sold to Anderson and Leslie. He afterwards bought Stanton Harcourt from +W. H. Walsh, of Degilbo Station. There I joined him in 1862. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +After handing the station over to Mr. Hawkes, I went to Canobie to +muster my horses, which were running on the Williams River, and thence +travelled eastward in company with Carolan. + +On arrival at the Punch Bowl, on the Flinders River, we heard that there +was a hundred mile dry stage ahead, so decided to camp. + +One afternoon, Mr. Roland Edkins, later so long manager of Mount +Cornish, and his wife, travelling on their honeymoon, drove up and asked +if we had any meat we could spare. I informed him we had none, but that +if he had a gun, and lent it to me, I would get some. A mob of cattle +had been to the water-hole earlier in the day. Armed with his gun I +followed the cattle and shot a clean-skin, which we dressed, and jerked +in the sun, not having salt. The supply of meat was sufficient for all +our needs. Mr. Edkins informed us that thunderstorms had fallen up the +river, so we made a start. While camping in the bed of the river one +night the water came down on us rather suddenly. We managed to get our +belongings up the bank before they became wet. + +In those days thunderstorms seemed to be more prevalent during November +than in later years. Before we reached Telemon, the river was a banker, +flooding the plains, and compelling us one night to camp on an ant bed, +which was the only dry spot we could find. Fortunately, the ants were +not of the bulldog breed. + +We arrived at Telemon about noon of a sweltering hot day, and found Mr. +Stewart, the owner, lying on his bunk with a tallow cask in close +proximity, the grease oozing out on to his bed. He invited us to have +some dinner, and we gladly availed ourselves of the invitation. Learning +that we were bound for the coast, he advised us to take the short cut up +Bett's Gorge. Mr. Stewart had been adjutant of the Cameron Highlanders +during the Crimean War, and was then considered to be the smartest +officer in the regiment. When he came to Australia, and took up the runs +of Southwick and Telemon, he altered so much that he became known as +"Greasy Stewart." When spoken to about it, he would say, "When you are +amongst savages, do as savages do." Otherwise he was in manners and +conduct a gentleman, and a delightful conversationalist. When visiting +Sydney he was considered to be a remarkably well-dressed man. He +afterwards became the possessor of a large estate in Scotland, where he +died. + +We found the creek running through Bett's Gorge a banker, and had to +swim 23 crossings in one day. Being so often in the water, we did not +trouble to dress, consequently the sun played havoc with our bodies. + +All the country for miles around being of a basaltic nature, our horses +became very footsore, and when we reached Lolworth Station we asked Mr. +Frank Hann, the manager, if he would allow us to spell them. He +consented, and invited us to the house. We stayed there about three +weeks, assisting him at mustering, and branding the cattle. + +The Cape River diggings had just broken out, and as I was now getting +stronger--the fever was going off gradually--I decided to remain in +Australia, and try my hand at gold digging. + +Both Carolan and myself were novices at the game, especially in putting +down a shaft. We decided to go up on a spinifex ridge, out of sight, to +sink, what turned out to be a three-cornered shaft, and so gain +experience. This we bottomed at 100 feet, obtaining good specimens of +shotty gold. Mr. Robert Christison, owner of Lammermoor Station, and Mr. +Richard Anning, from either Cargoon or Reedy Springs Stations (I forget +which), arrived with two horses and a dray. They camped close to us, and +like ourselves, intended trying their luck at gold digging. + +Whilst working at this, one Sunday evening, we overheard some Chinamen +speaking of a flat they were going to in the morning. We decided to +watch, and follow them. At daylight they made a rush to peg out claims; +we did likewise, and obtained one well placed as to water. The +difficulty then was how to work both claims, and it was decided Carolan +should get a mate and go on with the deep sinking on which we were +working. I was to work the shallow one myself. Our first claim turned +out to be on the edge of rich gold-bearing country, which was good while +it lasted, but soon petered out. The surrounding claims turned out very +rich, and got the name of the "Deep Lead." + +In the meantime I had bottomed my shaft at eleven feet. It turned out to +be a very wet one, so I had to work without my shirt. When I took the +first dish down to wash, I noticed a number of men taking great interest +in it, especially when the panning-out showed two dwts. of shotty gold +in the dish. The men engaged me in conversation. When I returned to my +claim, I found my pegs thrown away and fresh ones surrounding the shaft +in place of them. I strongly demurred to this, but without avail, until +a party of men who were our camp neighbours came over and took my part. +Through them I recovered my claim without more than wordy warfare. After +doing well out of the claim I found I could not continue it without a +mate. Having to throw the wash-dirt eleven feet, a lot of the pebbles in +it would come back on and bruise my naked body. + +Carolan and his mate determined to sink another shaft in the deep +sinking to hit the lead again. We had a consultation, and decided I +should take in as partner an old miner known as "Greasy Bill," who +possessed a horse and cart, cradles, and all the plant required for +shallow sinking. + +For the first month we were getting as much as an ounce and a-half to +the load of sixty buckets. As I puddled the wash-dirt he cradled it, and +consequently was in possession of the gold bag which held the proceeds +from the cradle. Although I could detect no difference in the wash-dirt, +the cradling results dwindled down by degrees to a quarter ounce per +load. As this did not pay our tucker bill, my mate suggested we should +sink another shaft, which we bottomed, and it turned out with similar +results. Carolan had now sunk his second shaft with no payable results, +and as I was dissatisfied with the result of my new venture, we both +decided to go prospecting. This we did, dry-blowing in the ranges with +no payable results. + +I afterwards met "Greasy Bill" at the Cape township, when he informed me +that after I had left he had struck it rich in both claims. Others told +me he had boasted he had got five hundred pounds out of the claim by +abstracting the gold from the bag when I was not looking, and that the +claim I pegged out was good throughout. + +Our experiences as diggers had completely disgusted Carolan and me, so +on hearing that carriage of loading to the gold field was very high, we +determined to start as carriers. + +I heard that a Mr. Mytton, of Oak Park Station, had a team of bullocks +for sale, and having some money in the Savings Bank at ----, we decided +to travel to Oak Park to investigate. + +On reaching Craigie Station, on the Clarke River, to enquire the way, +Mr. Saunders, the owner, informed us that he had seven bullocks and a +dray for sale for L120, but I wished to purchase a full team of 12 or +16, such as Mr. Mytton had at Oak Park, and decided to go there. Mr. +Saunders kindly lent us a Snider rifle for protection, as the blacks +were bad through the ranges, between his station and Mytton's. + +[Illustration: FITZMAURICE, CORFIELD, AND TOM FOX. (Taken in 1880).] + +We camped the first night at the Broken River, a weird looking place. +This was about May, 1868, and the nights being very cold we would +place one blanket under and have the other over us, with our heads on +the saddle, and the rifle between us. During the night I was awakened by +my saddle being pulled from my head. I immediately caught the rifle, and +turning around saw a native dog dragging my saddle by one of the straps. +Without waking my mate, who was a man six feet in height, I fired----. +Carolan made one leap, taking the blanket with him, saying he was shot. +This frightened me also. However, the howling of the dog who had +apparently received the bullet through his body, and full explanations +restored calm and a feeling of safety. In the morning we tracked the dog +to the water-hole, where we found him dead. + +On arrival at Oak Park, without further adventures, I found Mr. Mytton +had leased his team of bullocks and waggon to a man named Jack Howell, +who contemplated carrying. The latter was credited with being +double-jointed, and I believe it. He was the strongest man I ever met. +He afterwards married the widow of Jimmy Morrell, who had lived for +seventeen years with the blacks in the Cleveland Bay district. + +It is related that when he saw a white man after this length of time, +Morrell jumped on a stock-yard fence, and called out, "Don't shoot, I'm +a British object." The Government gave him a position in the Customs in +Bowen, where he died a few years afterwards. + +I later on attended Jack Howell's wedding. It was held in a house at the +foot of Castle Hill, in Townsville. Some, uninvited, came up to +tin-kettle the newly-married couple, but on Jack putting in an +appearance they showed discretion and scampered away, leaving one of +their mates hung up on a clothes line. + +During our stay of three days at Oak Park, we received great kindness, +which led to a life-long friendship with Edward Mytton. Carolan and I +returned to Craigie Station to give back the borrowed rifle. I then +decided to purchase the seven bullocks and dray, giving Saunders a +cheque for the price mentioned. I had to muster the bullocks myself, +finding four of them the second day. Mr. Saunders said he would go out +to find the remainder, as he knew where they were running. We both +started, but in different directions. I found the tracks, and succeeded +in bringing the bullocks to the yard, but Mr. Saunders did not turn up +until the next evening, having been bushed on his own run. The bullocks +were very fat, and had no leaders amongst them, so Mr. Saunders gave me +a hand by leading my horse and driving the spare bullock. At every +water-hole we came near these brutes would rush in, and I had to go, +with my clothes on, after them. Carolan had left me at Craigie, and gone +on to a public house at Nulla-Nulla, on the main Flinders road from +Townsville. He bought in shares with a teamster, who had two teams, and +as there was good grass and water, there he decided to camp. Here I met +"Black Jack," who said he was the first white man to cross the Burdekin. +Carolan having come out to give me a hand, Mr. Saunders returned to +Craigie. + +There were several carriers camped at Nulla, amongst them being a man +named James Wilson, from whom I bought five bullocks. One of these was a +good near-side leader, for which I was grateful. From that time Wilson +and I became travelling mates. We loaded in Townsville for the Cape +River diggings at twenty pounds per ton. + +As my additional bullocks allowed me to put on three tons, the sixty +pounds for carriage enabled me to pay for the bullocks and supplies for +the trip. When I returned to Townsville I met Mr. Saunders, who had sold +me the bullocks. He informed me that my cheque for payment had been +dishonoured, marked "no account." This news was a staggerer. I explained +that I had an account in the Government Savings Bank at ----, and that +before I left the Cloncurry, I had sent my pass book and a receipted +order to the Savings Bank officer, asking him to withdraw the money and +place it to my credit in the local branch of the A.J.S. Bank. Also that +I had advised the bank of the prospective remittance, and following my +request, had received a cheque book. Mr. Saunders was good enough to +accept my explanation, and agreed to remain in Townsville while I +proceeded to ----. I had very little money, so took a steerage passage in +the old "Tinonee," which was conveying a large number of disappointed +diggers returning to New Zealand. It was a rough and uncomfortable trip. +One had to stand at the door and snap the food as it was carried to the +table, not to do so meant going without. On arriving at ----, I put up at +a boarding house, which was far from being first class. I called on the +Postmaster, and told him my name. When he heard it he became very pale, +and agitated, and showed great uneasiness. He invited me into his +office, where I stated my business, and added that if my money was not +forthcoming at once I would report him. He then told me that he was so +long without hearing of me, that he was confirmed in believing the +rumour of my death on the way in, and that he had invested the money in +some land, which gave promise of soon rising in value. I gave him until +the next boat was leaving for Townsville, which would be in four days, +to repay the money. I also insisted upon being refunded my expenses, and +a return saloon fare from Townsville to ---- and back. He gladly agreed +to my terms, and I promised not to proceed further. I had a splendid +trip back per saloon. I met Mr. Saunders, who was pleased that I had +recovered the money, and remarked, "I thought you had an honest face," +etc. He added that he would give me preference for loading to the +station. + +This affair was brought back forcibly to my memory owing to the matter +having been mentioned not long since by a friend of later years, who, in +his capacity as a Government officer, happened to be stationed in this +town some 30 years ago. He told me of a property bought by the +Postmaster of the place, upon which there was a fine orchard. This was +looked after by a German of gigantic stature, who patrolled the orchard +with a loaded shot gun. He said that an old resident of the place had +told him that the property had been bought with money drawn from the +Government Savings Bank by a man out in the Gulf country, who was +reported to have died on the road down, but who turned up some months +afterwards, and claimed his money. I did not at any time speak of the +matter, and can only conclude that the Postmaster raised the money in +the town, and gave the information to the lender. It was peculiar that +my friend, fifty years afterwards, should mention a matter in which I +was so concerned and without having any previous knowledge that I was +the reported dead man. + +The late Hon. B. Fahey, M.L.C., was then second officer of Customs in +Townsville. He allowed me to see the ship's manifests of cargo arriving. +I was thus enabled to apply beforehand for loading to these merchants +who would be receiving consignments. This was a great help to my +mate--Wilson--and myself to obtain loading quickly. + +When carrying became slack, Mr. Marsh, of Webster and Marsh, of Mackay, +arrived in Townsville, and being an old school-fellow of mine, said he +would send up two loads from Mackay to keep me going. + +About this time (1869), I made the acquaintance of Messrs. Watson Bros., +of Townsville, who were very kind to me, inviting me to their house to +spend the evenings when in the Bay (as Townsville was then generally +spoken of). They had two sisters, one of whom afterwards married my +friend Edward Mytton, and the other, Mr. Page, in after years of +Wandovale Station. They were a cultured family, and the time I spent +with them reminded me of home life more than anything I had then +experienced since I left England. + +On my last trip to the Cape diggings, Wilson and I had returned as far +as Homestead, when Bob Watson rode up, and enquired for what we would +take loading to the Gilbert River. We knew this place to be somewhere +beyond Oak Park, and we asked for L30 per ton. This was agreed to, with +the proviso that the teams were to be loaded at night on the Lower Cape. +At the time the township was honeycombed with shafts, and we had many +misadventures driving our teams in the dark. Watson explained the reason +for our loading at night was that the Gilbert diggings had only just +been reported, and his firm wished to get supplies on the ground early +to obtain high prices. We were to travel _via_ the Upper Cape, Lolworth, +Craigie, Wandovale, Junction Creek. Lyndhurst, and Oak Park, etc. + +Long before we reached the latter place droves of people of both sexes, +in all sorts of vehicles, on horse back, and afoot, passed us. The news +had quickly spread that good gold had been found on the Gilbert. + +This move of the Watson's was rather smart. They had a quantity of +damaged flour to get rid of. We had to purchase our rations from them. +The only way in which we could use the flour was to make it into johnny +cakes, and eat them hot. Flour was selling at 3/- for half-a-pint, and +the damaged flour soon found ready customers at fancy prices. + +The township consisted of tents, but as the storekeepers required +something more substantial than calico, I sold my tarpaulin for a good +price, and made contracts to supply bark at 5/- per sheet. We engaged men +to strip the bark. This work kept us both busy hauling with our teams, +and lasted until the wants of the township were fully supplied. + +We then started on our 350-mile journey back to Townsville, and reached +there about the end of September. Mr. Mytton arranged for me to load for +him, and I obtained a load for my mate for Lyndhurst, the station +adjoining. + +This station was managed by a Mr. Smith from the Clarence River. For +some reason, I could not learn how, he was known as "Gentle J----." He +was a remarkably small man, but was noted as being a very plucky one. +His store was stuck-up by a man called "Waddy Mundoo-i," from his +having a wooden leg. Smith fought and knocked him out, afterwards giving +him help to get along the road. We spent about a fortnight in Townsville +having repairs made to the drays, etc., and we started on our return +journey to Oak Park on the 14th of November, 1869, making as much haste +as possible before the wet season set in. This, however, caught us at +the Broken River, where we had to camp for over nine weeks. We were +joined here by many other teams loaded for the Gilbert. + +With us we had an old ship's carpenter, who helped to make a canoe from +a currajong tree. On the stern he attached a board, on which was painted +"Cleopatra, Glasgow." This boat proved very useful in ferrying over the +large number of footmen arriving daily, and saving our rations, as all +travellers expected to be fed without payment. One day we ferried +Inspector Clohesy and his troopers across the river, which at the time +was running very high. After a great deal of difficulty and some danger, +we landed them and 2,000 ounces of gold in safety. Before the river was +crossable for teams, I cut my name on a tree, bearing date 1870, which I +again saw many years later. On arrival, we were warmly welcomed at the +station. + +When in Townsville I had asked Fitzmaurice, who had reached there from +Peak Downs and was going to Sydney for a spell, to get a waggon made for +me below. I now decided to turn out my bullocks at Oak Park to spell, +and take on stock riding and droving fat bullocks into the diggings, +where Mr. Mytton, having taken a partner named John Childs to look after +the station during his absence, had opened a shop, and was butchering +himself. Mr. Childs was married and had one little girl, named Beatrice, +now married to one of our greatest sheep-owners. + +Amongst those who camped a night at the Broken River was a young +new-chum Irishman, who asked if we knew a man in "Australia" called Tom +Ripley. We replied "Yes, he is now at the Gilbert with his teams." He +said, "I am his brother; he has bullock cars, hasn't he?" This remark, +simple as it was, a long standing joke among the carriers. + +In conversation we gleaned that he had left Ireland on the same day that +we had left Townsville, had crossed the ocean, and was passing us bound +for nearly the same destination as ourselves. + +As two hundred and fifty miles is to thirteen thousand, so was the speed +of bullock teams attempting travelling during the wet season to that of +a sailing ship from the foggy seas. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +My mate, Jim Wilson, returned to Townsville after delivering his load at +Lyndhurst. Mr. Mytton had purchased Junction Creek Station (afterwards +called Wandovale), from Mr. Cudmore, and had left the Gilbert to take +delivery, intending afterwards to go on to Townsville to be married to +Miss Watson. As the station was short-handed, and Mr. Mytton wished to +make some alterations to prepare for his bride, he asked me if I would +stay and use my team to bring in the timber, and also to assist Childs +with the cattle. I consented to remain for a couple of months. During +this time the black boys on the station bolted, taking with them Mrs +Childs' gin, and my black boy. A carpenter named Jack Barker and myself +started with three horses in pursuit, eventually finding the absconders +where the Woolgar diggings now are. On our return we ran out of rations, +and lived on iguanas, snakes, opossums, etc. Childs induced me to take +charge of a mob of bullocks, and drove them to Wandovale, where Mr. and +Mrs. Mytton were now living. + +After delivering the bullocks at Wandovale, I returned to Oak Park to +muster my bullocks and horses, and found a bay mare missing. Although +assisted by the stockmen, we failed to find her. I then determined to +start for Townsville, and again take up carrying. When I reached +Wandovale on my way down, I camped at the station. Returning from +putting my bullocks on grass, I saw a number of Chinamen with pack +horses preparing to camp at the creek. One of their horses attracted my +attention, so I rode over and recognised my mare. I rode on, and watched +the direction in which the Chinamen hobbled their horses. Mr. Mytton and +I then decided that I should go out before daybreak to bring the mare +in. He was to be at the slip rails to allow the animal to be driven into +the paddock. In the dark of the early morning I had a difficulty in +locating the animal amongst so many horses. Eventually, I found her, but +I could not catch her. At daybreak I saw she was long hobbled, and +getting near enough, struck her with the bridle, I turned her towards +the station. The Chinamen were just starting out for their horses, and +seeing me, tried to cut me off, and then ensued a race for the slip +rails. I had half-a-mile to go to reach the paddock; however, putting on +a spurt, I succeeded in reaching the slip rails first, hunting the mare +through them, but I was completely winded. In response to the Chinamen's +"Wha for," Mr. Mytton said he was a Justice of the Peace, and dared them +to interfere with anything on his property. It ended by my giving my +name and address, after stating that the mare was my property, and had +been stolen from Oak Park Station. + +Some time afterwards Inspector Clohesy, who was in charge of the police +on the Gilbert, informed me that the Chinamen had come to him for +redress, but he remembered how I had helped him and his escort across +the Broken River, and assured them that he knew I would not have taken +such action unless the mare was my property. The matter ended, and I +found out afterwards the mare had been stolen and sold to the Chinamen. + +Mention of Inspector Clohesy reminds me that he was a remarkable +personality, now-a-days not so common--tall, slight and wiry, he could +sit a horse as well as the best of riders and hold his own with men of +all sorts. Endowed with quick insight into the character of men who were +in many instances indifferent to law, he exercised a restraining +influence without in any way neglecting his duty as a police officer. +His presence and word alone frequently calmed excited diggers in a way +that commanded their respect and admiration. When the diggers broke into +rioting at Charters Towers, the tact, patience and courage of Clohesy +was of more use and value than a posse of police. Many a time I have +heard a witty remark, or a pithy Irish phrase from him, turn a likely +disturbance into a pleasant laughing meeting. Wherever he controlled, he +kept things in order without his hand being felt. When he died about +1879, Queensland lost a good officer, and many a northern pioneer a true +friend. + +When I reached Townsville I procured a load for Ravenswood diggings, +which had just been opened. I went to load my new waggon at Clifton and +Aplin's store, accompanied by a man named Tom Hobbs, who was also +loading at the same place, and for the same destination. When I drove my +team and new waggon from Sydney through the streets toward the German +Gardens--since the war, Belgium Gardens--where we were camped, I noticed +every one laughing as I went by. After crossing the ridge where the +Anglican Cathedral now stands, I went around to the off side, and there +saw that some wag, while I was loading, had obliterated a letter on the +name of my waggon, which Fitzmaurice had christened the "Townsville +Lass." Striking the "L" out gave it a different name. I quickly procured +a paint brush and renewed the name as it should be. + +At that time the road to Ravenswood was lined with vehicles and +pedestrians, making their way to the new field. Cobb and Co. were +running a coach for mails and passengers, driven by Mick Brady, who +afterwards was well and favourably known on the very bad road from +Cooktown to Maytown. After making a quick trip we returned, and loaded +again for the Gilbert diggings. + +In going up Thornton's Gap, on the coast range, I had the misfortune to +lose the top of my third finger on my right hand. We had 36 bullocks on +the waggon, and a faulty chain breaking, only six bullocks were left to +hold the waggon. The near side ones being lazy, allowed the waggon to +drift down towards the steep descent of 500 feet to the bottom. I ran +with a piece of heavy log to prevent a smash, but the wheels caught the +log before I could release my hand, and completely crushed the top of +my finger until the bone protruded. That night I had to lay with my +finger in hot water to relieve the pain. The next day I started at +daylight for Townsville, had the finger dressed by the doctor, and +returned to the teams the same day, having ridden a distance of 60 +miles. I was unable to yoke my team, but this my mate, Tom Hobbs, kindly +did for me. I was, however, able to drive the team the 350 miles to the +Gilbert. On returning from there, I had a bad attack of fever and ague, +which compelled me to ride on to Townsville for medical advice, having +various difficulties on the way down. I left my black boy to assist my +mate to bring down the two teams, by hitching my waggon behind his, and +yoking up sufficient bullocks drafted from each team to draw them. + +My mate, Tom Hobbs, was a "white man," which means a lot, but rather +backward as regards education. In leisure moments I would assist him in +reading, writing, etc. Before he left the Bay on this trip, he had +become engaged to a young lady in the town, and enlisted my services to +write his letters for him. I remember the last I wrote before leaving +him contained the following:-- + + But if all goes well on my return, + We'll give the Parson some trouble, + To write the license for friends to learn + We're converted from single to double. + +In a few weeks after reaching Townsville, under the doctor's care, I +regained my usual good health, and found Tom's fiancee and delivered the +messages which he had entrusted me with. The wet season of 1871 had set +in, and Tom was stuck at the Burdekin River with the teams, so I +concocted the following rhyme to send him as if they came from his +lady-love:-- + + Oh! Tom Hobbs, dear Tom, why don't you come back + To redeem the dear promise you gave unto me, + When you started with loading on the Gilberton track + To hail your return as my husband to be. + + Oh! the days and the hours how slowly they pass, + And for me, I fear, there are plenty in store, + Since now there's abundance of water and grass, + To tempt you to spell your poor bullocks the more. + + But, dear Tom, do write me a line to say + That your love is as fervent as ever it's been. + If so, on your return we'll both name the day + Which kind friends will finish with tins kerosene. + + I pray my dear hopes are not born to be blighted, + By the tide of misfortune in earth's dreary life, + For you know, dear Tom, you have charms which delighted + A young girl to be your dear loving wife. + + And now, dearest Tom, with a squeeze and a kiss + That would burst the staves of a six gallon barrel. + I pray God to grant you health and heavenly bliss + When united for ever to your loving E. Carrol. + +When I last visited Townsville in 1917, I called on Mrs. Hobbs, who +showed me the original of the above, still in good preservation. + +Tom was a very shy man, and asked me if I could arrange for his marriage +to be held by the Registrar at the Court House on a Sunday evening. This +I did, the wedding party arriving at the Court House by different routes +to avoid publicity. The Registrar had only a candle, which did not give +sufficient light, so he asked if I could obtain a lamp. I went down the +hill to Evans', afterwards Enright's, Tattersall Hotel, and borrowed a +lamp ostensibly to look for lost jewellery for a lady. Several loungers, +doubting the reason given, followed me, with the result that at midnight +Tom's house was surrounded by uninvited guests, and I had to hand out +some bottles of brandy before they could be induced to leave. We kept +things up until daylight, when I rode back to my camp at Mount Louisa, +six miles away. + +About this time the carriers were challenged by the Townsville cricket +club to a match, to be played on a ground prepared at the German +Gardens. A carrier named Billy Yates took his waggon, decorated with +boughs and bush flowers, drawn by bullocks, to bring out the town team. +The principal bowler for Townsville was L. F. Sachs, of the A.J.S. Bank. +Ours were Charlie and Fred Hannaford. After a hard-fought game of two +innings each, the carriers won, I having the honour of being top scorer. +The particulars did not go into print, so I am unable to give the +details, although I remember the happenings connected with and after the +match were interesting. + +I was loaded at Mount Louisa on my way to Ravenswood, when, during the +night a man wakened me, and asked if I could give him a drink. I gave +him a nip of rum from the jar. Shortly afterwards I noticed the smell of +burning, and on looking round saw a dray with a load of wool well +alight. I immediately raised the alarm, and the men from several other +teams who were camped there ran over, but all that we could save were +the bullock yokes. We then tipped the dray up, thinking the ropes had +been burnt through, and that the bales of wool would roll off, when we +could deal with them. This was not the case, and the wind getting +underneath so fanned the flame that soon the wool was burning as +fiercely as the wood. The police investigated the matter, and found that +the man I gave the drink to had travelled down with this team, and had a +grievance about the payment of his wages. The Police Magistrate +committed him to the Supreme Court for trial for arson. I was subpoenaed +as principal witness, and had to ride back some 70 miles to give +evidence. The jury found the man guilty, and he was sentenced to two +years' hard labour. As he was leaving the Court, in passing me, he said, +"You have only two years to live," but in this he did not prove a true +prophet. + +About this time I first made the acquaintance of the gentleman now known +as Sir Robert Philp. He has a reputation throughout this country, to +which, if I attempted to add anything would be simply gilding refined +gold. But in 1870 the name of Bob Philp, accountant for James Burns, was +throughout North Queensland a synonym for business ability, integrity +of character, and kindness of heart. This reputation has not been dimmed +by the passing of years. It is something of a pleasure to know Sir Robt. +Philp, but it is a matter of pride to have known Mr. Philp "Lang Syne," +when men of ability, character, and generosity were not rare or +difficult to find. + +I have alluded several times to "partners," or "mates," which was the +more popular term. These partnerships were quite common amongst carriers +and diggers in bygone days. It was simply chums, owning and sharing +everything in common, and without any agreement, written or otherwise. +There were many such partnerships involving large sums of money and +valuable property which existed only on a complete trust in mates. + +Among others on the Gilbert and Etheridge, were the mateship of Steel, +Hunt and O'Brien. There were several such partnerships on the Palmer, +notably that of Duff, Edwards and Callaghan. Of the high characters and +generosity of all these men many interesting stories could be told. I +doubt if their prototypes now exist. In my own case, in carrying and in +business, I carried on with partners for many years without any +agreement. The partnerships were based on mutual trust. When it was felt +between the partners for some reason or other--generally a mere liking +for a change--that the partnership might end, a friendly squaring-up +would take place; each would go his own way and probably enter into +partnership with some other party. With the exception of the partner I +had in a claim on the Cape goldfield, I found all my mates or partners +to be men in every sense of the term. + +I had a very good black boy, a little fellow of about 10 years of age, a +native of Cooper's Creek, whom I called Billy. On one of my trips to the +Gilbert, when passing Dalrymple, Billy Marks, the store and +hotel-keeper, presented me with a well-bred cattle pup and a gin case to +put him in. This I placed on top of the load. We had six miles to go +over very rough basalt country to our camp. That day I had yoked a +steer for the first time, and I intended to hobble him at night. When we +reached camp I told Billy to bring up a quiet bullock called Darling, +and this I coupled to the steer, instructing the boy to hold the +whip-stick in front of the steer to attract his attention whilst I +hobbled him. I had just put the hobble on the off leg, and was preparing +to put it on the other, when the steer gave a tremendous jump, and the +old bullock knocked me on my back on the yokes lying on the ground. When +I rose I looked at the boy to see if he was laughing, but he was quite +demure. I then saw the pup on the ground. He had caused my discomfiture +by jumping on the steer's back, the box having broken open coming over +the stones. When I returned from putting the bullocks on the grass, I +saw my mate laughing, and to my inquiry he replied: "When you left with +the bullocks I inquired from the boy what the trouble was?" The boy +said, "Puppy been jump down on the steer's back, and old Darling been +throw 'em a good way." My mate said, "You been laugh?" The boy answered, +"Baal! me only been laugh alonga inside." He thought I might have beaten +him if I had detected a smile on his face. While I was camped just +outside Dalrymple, I one day told the boy if anyone wanted me, to say I +was in the township. I had just finished a game of billiards at the +hotel, when a man entered laughing. He called me on one side, and said +he had asked my boy where I was. He said "That fella along public house +playing--he got 'em spear in his hand, and knock about things all a same +like it duck egg." He added the boy had followed me and watched my +actions. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +I continued carrying to Ravenswood, Charters Towers, the Gilbert and +Etheridge goldfields until October, 1872, when I loaded for the latter +place, delivering my load towards the end of the year, and just as the +wet season set in. My travelling mate at this time was Billy Wilson, and +he, wishing to return to port, left me in charge of his team. I camped +on the Delaney River, and as there was abundance of grass, the bullocks +gave no trouble. On Wilson's return, we decided to purchase two loads of +stores from Clifton and Aplin's branch store, to take to the Palmer +River rush which had just broken out, owing to William Hann's report on +his exploration through the Peninsula becoming known. + +William Hann was a first-class bushman, but it is quite evident he was +very much astray in one portion of the trip, which led to the great gold +discovery. On page 13 of his report, referring to his following up the +Normanby River, he stated he crossed the divide between the Normanby and +Endeavour Rivers, and followed a gully for nine and a-half miles; ... +when it became a considerable creek which he called Oakey Creek, it +being the first place he saw the familiar oaks. Under date 21st +September, 1872, he reports:--"Running this creek down in an easterly +direction, and being compelled to cross it several times until it +junctioned with a large river running north and south"; he adds "this +river was, of course, no other than the Endeavour, of which so much has +been said and heard from time to time." In this assumption he was far +out. Owing to the rough country, Oakey Creek had to be crossed three +times, and while being only one creek its crossings were afterwards +known as Big, Middle and Little Oakey. The creek forms one of the +heads of the Annan River, so named by Dalrymple. This river coming from +the south-east falls into the sea some miles south of Mount Cook, which, +with its spurs, divides it from the estuary of the Endeavour. Although +there was a qualified surveyor in the party, it does not appear that he +put Hann right. I do not mention this with any other desire than to show +what difficulties our early explorers met with. + +[Illustration: JOHN MURTAGH MACROSSAN] + +The manner in which Hann extricated his party from the terrible rough +country at the heads of the Bloomfield and Daintree Rivers stamps him as +a fine bushman, resourceful and dauntless. + +We had a very exciting trip passing Fossilbrook, Mount Surprise, and +Firth's Stations, crossing the Lynd, Tate, Walsh and Mitchell Rivers. +These were all running strong. When we arrived at the Walsh, two horse +teams had been camped there for a fortnight, and the owners told us the +river was uncrossable. After putting the bullocks on grass, my mate (who +was a splendid bushman), rode into the river. The water being clear, he +was able to zig-zag a sand bank, avoiding deep water, and found we could +get the waggons across by putting the goods on the guard rails. This we +did that night unknown to the owners of the other teams who were camped +farther on, but out of sight. In the morning we yoked up, and passed +them, stating we were going to attempt crossing. This they declared was +impossible, but came down to see us make the attempt. We only had our +shirts on, and rode our horses bare-back. We made the crossing +successfully, and camped on the northern bank. The river came down again +that night, and delayed the horse teams another week. When we reached +the Mitchell River, we found there were forty teams of all sorts and +sizes waiting to cross. The next day my mate said that the river was +fordable, and he would cross. We led the way, followed by the others. +Quite a little village of people of both sexes camped that night on the +north side of the Mitchell. Our troubles were now over, and we had +thirty miles of easy travelling, past Mount Mulgrave to the Palmer +River. + +There was such a quantity of stores arriving at the one time that we +could not dispose of ours, so it was arranged that Wilson should take +his team to Cooktown, and purchase a load jointly for us, and that I +should remain, put up a tarpaulin store for the goods, and dispose of +them as opportunity offered. To do this I decided to sell my bullock +team and horses, as I did not know how long I should remain. + +In the meantime, another diggings called Purdie's Camp broke out forty +miles up the river, so I purchased some more stores and engaged a horse +team to carry all the goods there at L40 per ton. The only grass on the +road was that known as "turpentine." This the horses would not eat, +consequently we had to feed them on flour and water. On arrival, I +disposed of everything at high prices. Thus flour, 200lb. bag for L20, +and other things at like values. + +When at Purdie's camp, a packer--that is, a carrier using pack +horses--came in with his horses, one of which had thrown his shoe. This +rendered the horse useless to travel over the stony ridges. The packer +wanted horse-shoe nails, so, as a joke, a carrier named Billy Yates +offered to let him have five horse-shoe nails for their weight in gold. +The offer was accepted, and I saw the nails put in one scale and the +gold in the other. The packer was receiving one shilling per pound for +packing goods eleven miles, and on that day's trip the horse took +150lbs., thus giving him L7/10/-, less the price for the nails. I forget +the value of the gold paid for the latter. + +I was one day in a store kept by a man named T. Q. Jones, locally known +as "Three Two," when a digger came in to buy a needle. He demurred at +the price asked, one shilling, when the storekeeper remarked, "Good God, +man, look at the price of carriage." + +Query--at 1/- per needle, what would a ton cost? + +I had only my gold bag--which was fairly bulky--and my black boy, and +having again met my old acquaintance Fitzmaurice, from Peak Downs, who +had also sold his loading and had sent his teams down to Cooktown, we +decided to walk the forty miles back to the Lower Palmer, carrying the +gold in our blankets, which we slung over our shoulders. When we reached +the township, which was then unnamed, we heard that the cost of carriage +from Cooktown had risen to L130 per ton of 2,000lbs. for 165 miles. I +learnt that there were some teams camped at the Mitchell River, and +having borrowed a horse from a friendly teamster, rode out to try and +make a deal for one or more teams. I succeeded in buying 24 bullocks and +two old drays, with three horses, for L400, agreeing to take the carrier +and his wife to Cooktown, and paid a deposit. The owner had not heard of +the high prices ruling for loading. When we reached the township and he +learnt this, he offered me L50 on my bargain to repurchase the teams, +but I refused the offer. I then bought a new waggon for L60, and sold +the two old drays to the blacksmith for L20. This enabled me to have one +very strong team. + +I found out afterwards that this was necessary, as the road was very +heavy, notably fourteen miles of sand, known as the "Welcome Water-hole +Sand," in which the wheels were buried to the axle. + +Billy Wilson, my partner, arrived with our joint loading at Palmerville +just as I arrived with my newly-bought team, and not liking the idea of +remaining as a storekeeper, I preferred to accompany him on his return +to Cooktown. We decided to sell our joint load at a price which netted +us L70 per ton for carriage. + +Before I reached Cooktown I met a storekeeper from that town who engaged +me to take four tons of goods to what is now called Palmerville, at L120 +per ton. This price enabled me to engage a Chinese cook, so that I could +devote all my attention to looking after the bullocks. + +After delivering my L120 loading, I made all haste on my return and +succeeded in obtaining another load of four and a-half tons at L100 per +ton. + +Cooktown at this time (towards the end of 1873), was composed wholly of +tents. Diggers, who had been more or less successful, were arriving on +their way to "the Bay" (Townsville), or farther south. + +I think that the Palmer was the last real alluvial gold rush in +Australia, and the class of men who followed such rushes in the search +for gold is now extinct. Imagine to oneself the "lucky digger" in cord +pants, top boots, red shirt, and sash with fringes hanging down, the +whole topped by a wide-rimmed felt hat, and we have a man who may be +seen in present-day picture shows. There were some doubtful characters +among the diggers, but they were as a general rule a fine stamp of men, +slow to form friendship, but this once made, was loyally given and +maintained when fortune smiled, and not withheld when she frowned, on +one or other. The digger of the past was not often known to desert or +turn down the man or woman to whom he once gave his friendship. Some +were highly connected in other countries, some had been "'Varsity men." +I once assisted to bury the remains of one whose real name could never +be learnt. From the clothes found in his camp, it could be seen that +they originally had been marked, but the name had been cut out from each +article. I found two volumes from which the names had also been cut out; +these were "Sheridan's Works" and "Cicero's Works" in Latin. Many +passages in the books were well marked with marginal notes in pencil, +and both showed signs of being well studied. + +Carriage was invariably paid in gold at the standard of L3/15/- per +ounce. On sending the gold to the Sydney mint through the banks it +realised L4/7/6 per ounce, which, at the time, was considered to be a +record price. The bank and shipping charges, and insurance, etc., +amounted to 7/6 per ounce, so that we had a clear profit of 5/- per ounce +on the gold by sending the gold to Sydney instead of paying it into the +banks. + +At Palmerville I met, for the first time, Dr. Jack Hamilton, afterwards +M.L.A. and whip for the National Party in the Parliament of 1888. Among +the Palmer diggers Hamilton was extremely popular because of his prowess +as an athlete, and his medical ability, which was given gratuitously to +all. He was said to have been concerned in some of the many South +American revolutions, but although we were friendly from this time until +his death, he never alluded to such an occurrence. I realised, however, +that he was very reticent as to his early life, and the gossip may have +had some foundation. + +I delivered my load just as the wet season set in, so made my camp six +miles down the river from Palmerville. My black boy caught a cold, +which, in spite of the medicines I gave him, developed into pneumonia. +He was very weak, and as he refused to accept food from anyone but +myself, I was a prisoner in camp. One evening he called me over, and +made a confession of what he said were lies he had told me at different +times. Once when I had sent him to muster some of my horses on the Annan +River, near Cooktown, he had returned saying he could not find them. He +now told me that when he had reached the river, he saw a lot of Myall +black fellows, which so frightened him that he gave up looking for the +horses, and camped until sun-down, thus leading me to think he had been +looking for them all day. Several other little instances that I had +quite forgotten, he told me were lies. In the morning he was dead. I +buried him, and put a wooden cross over the grave. He was a splendid +little fellow, and I missed him greatly. + +On returning to Cooktown in 1874, I offered to make an agreement with a +Chinese storekeeper to carry for him for twelve months at the rate of +L50 per ton. After consulting Joss, he agreed, and I thus had constant +employment at a lucrative price. + +The Chinese storekeepers had sent to China to import a number of coolies +to pack their merchandise from Cooktown to the Palmer. + +The Government had just completed wharves and sheds at the landing, and +rented these to Mr. F. W. J. Beardmore, stock and station agent there. + +This gentleman hearing that a steamer from the north was about to arrive +conveying 400 Chinamen, came out to the four-mile, where a number of +carriers were camped, to ask if we would assist him at the wharf, as he +intended to levy a poll tax of one shilling per head on each Chinaman +who landed, and to bring ropes with us. After a consultation, we decided +to help him, as these coolies were competing with our trade. Before the +ship arrived, we had stretched our ropes across the exit, and marshalled +our forces to prevent any leaving the wharf without paying the tax. A +stormy scene then ensued, as the coolies strongly objected to the +imposition, ending by the swag of each man being confiscated and placed +in the shed until payment was made. In carrying this out, we were ably +assisted by the sailors and sympathetic civilians. Several of the +Chinese attempted to escape, but were caught by their pig-tails and +brought back. After a controversy between Mr. Beardmore and the Chinese +storekeepers, the latter paid L20, the sum demanded for the release of +the swags. The Chinese had no sympathisers to assist them in obtaining +redress. + +The Chinese storekeepers generally packed their goods by their own +countrymen, who carried them in baskets hung on bamboo sticks slung +across their shoulders. The Chinese packers, through fear of the blacks, +invariably travelled in numbers and in single file. Many a time they +would draw down anathema of carriers by parading on the off-side of the +bullocks, which were being yoked up, dangling their tins in an offensive +manner to the animals, which often resulted in the drivers hunting them +away with their bullock whips. As a further protection against the +blacks, the Chinese kept up a loud conversation, which, if not +understood, might be heard some time before they were met. + +On their return from the diggings these packers were believed to carry +back gold in payment for goods. In a similar way it was thought that +gold was largely transferred to China. + +The value of gold known to have been obtained from the Palmer, is +estimated at about six millions sterling. If there was such a secret +export by Chinese, the value would probably be very much more. + +Shortly after making my first trip from Cooktown, I met Dr. O. Quinn, +the then Roman Catholic Bishop of Brisbane, who was visiting the Palmer, +and who with much glee told me he had just come safely through the +"Gates of Hell." This was a short cut from the original track from +Cooktown, and was opened up by Inspector Douglas to avoid the many +crossings of the Palmer during the wet seasons, but was abandoned owing +to the hostility of the blacks. Many a digger and several packers were +murdered on this route and their remains eaten by the blacks of this +locality. It is a sort of long passage, or cut through the rocks, just +about wide enough for a pack horse to pass through easily. Overhead +large boulders here and there are lying across the passage. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +Owing to depredations and murders committed by the blacks between +Cooktown and the Palmer, it was found advisable for teams and packers to +travel in numbers for mutual protection. On the trip to Palmerville, I +travelled in company with nine other teams, and after crossing the +Normanby River we camped on the bank. Our bullocks strayed some miles +down the river, and on mustering them in the morning we found the trend +of the river was towards the Deighton, one of its tributaries, and in +the direction of where the old road crossed it. A party was formed, of +which I was one, to ascertain if it was possible to reach the Deighton +without going through the "Welcome Water-hole Sand." We found good, firm +country which made it practicable. On returning, we rode our horses +single file, thus making a good pad for the bullocks to follow. Our +first night out we camped between two lagoons. A mate and I went out to +get some ducks or geese, which swarmed on the lagoons. We had previously +noticed that the blacks' tracks had formed beaten pads, like sheeps' +tracks, round the lagoons. + +We crossed a soakage running through sand; there were dense patches of +scrub near the lagoons, and I had an impression that it was not safe to +go farther on foot, and said I would go back. My mate at first demurred, +but eventually yielded. When we came back to the wet sand we saw blacks' +tracks over our boot prints. It was evident we had been followed, and +had we not returned would most certainly have been speared in some +convenient place. That night dogs were barking incessantly. My waggon +being on the outside, I let the tarpaulin down and slept on the ground +instead of on the bunk, rigged up between the spokes of the hind +wheels--there was less likelihood of a spear catching me there. + +After crossing the Deighton we met some empty teams coming down, and +told them of the new road we had opened up. The carriers said they would +go that way. We cautioned them to be careful of the blacks, as there +were numbers of them in the vicinity. Some time after the carriers told +us they found that the blacks had covered the road with bushes, sticks +and small trees to screen their hunting grounds. They also said they had +met a German, his wife and little girl, at the turn-off on the Normanby, +and advised them not to go on the new track as the blacks were bad, and +they had no firearms. However, the German, whose name was Johan Strau, +persisted, saying he was not afraid of blacks, as he had been used to +them. + +On arriving on the Palmer, we met two carriers who were riding down with +their gold. We told them also of the new road we had opened up, and they +decided to ride that way. + +We also advised them to be careful as the blacks were numerous near the +lagoons, which they would pass. They said they had a revolver, but only +three cartridges, which they deemed sufficient for protection, as they +were riding. + +Later these carriers had reported to the police, that on reaching the +open space around the lagoons I have mentioned, they saw a large number +of natives, and thinking mischief had been done, they discharged the +revolver amongst the blacks, who decamped. When the carriers reached the +abandoned spot they found Strau's body beneath the dray. The dead body +of his wife was a little distance away. A spear had been driven through +her mouth, and had pinned her to the ground. Both bodies were warm. +Three horses were lying dead, but there was no sign of the little girl. + +The carriers immediately galloped on to the fifteen-mile bend of the +Normanby River, where a number of teams and packers were camped. In the +morning a well-armed search party was formed. On arrival at the scene of +the murders, scouts were posted to give notice if the blacks were +returning. A grave was dug, and the bodies lowered into it. While this +was being carried out noises were heard in the scrub. The party +proceeded in the direction of the sound and found the little girl, a +large gash across the forehead, her stomach ripped up by the blacks' +wooden knives, and her eyes picked out by crows. The body was brought +in, and buried with the father and mother. Flour, sugar, tea, gunpowder, +etc., etc., were heaped up on the ground, but there was no sign of the +dray. Inspector Douglas, in charge of the native police, was informed. +His detachment followed the murderers across the Normanby River, where +they overtook and dispersed them. Portions of the dray, stripped of all +the iron work, were also found. + +The police learnt, through the troopers from some blacks who were +captured, that Strau's party was camped for dinner when the blacks +attacked them. The man was speared while reading a book beneath the +dray, and the woman was sewing, sitting against the wheel of the dray. +Before being killed outright, the woman was subjected to horrible +outrage by the blacks. It was intended to keep the little girl, but two +old gins quarrelled over her possession, and it was decided to kill the +child, and so avoid dissension among the tribe. From these murders the +lagoons were known as the "Murdering Lagoons." + +On my way back to Cooktown I camped near the grave. That night I laid +down in the centre of the bullocks when they camped after feeding, +holding my loaded rifle and horse by the bridle. Bullocks are very +sensitive to the smell of wild blacks, and will almost certainly +stampede should any be about. Camping among the bullocks is considered +the safest place one can find. + +Some time later, while at this camp, I was mustering my bullocks on the +plain between the scrubs, when they stampeded. I looked, I could see +nothing, but I knew that blacks must be the cause. On returning to the +waggons, I was informed that three troopers, who had run away from Cape +York, had been to the camp. They had no clothes, but rusty rifles, and +had fought their way through the wild tribes of the Peninsula. My +bullock bells were the first sign of civilisation they had met for three +months. + +Mr. William Hann had just arrived at Palmerville with a mob of fat +bullocks from his Maryvale Station. I purchased 13 steers from him at +L16 per head. The cattle were very quiet after their long droving, and +as I was returning to Cooktown with my empty waggon, I was enabled to +break them in. At that place I bought another waggon, and with spare +bullocks from my first team, I was able to put two full teams on the +road. + +Sub-Inspector O'Connor's camp was at the Laura River. On one occasion, +when dispersing some blacks, the troopers, who were all Fraser Island +natives, saw the shiny, black skin of an aboriginal hiding in the bush +some distance away. They fired, and a little fellow about six years of +age got up and ran towards them. The troopers picked him up, and he +became a favourite with them. They delighted in instructing him in drill +and discipline, and he proved an apt pupil. O'Connor and myself became +great friends, and many a happy hour I've spent at his barracks when +passing to and fro to the Palmer. Knowing I had no black boy, he gave me +the little fellow he had so well drilled. I bought a pony for him to +ride, and it was laughable to see him, if we happened to meet the +troopers on the road, straighten himself up and salute the officer. + +O'Connor told me an amusing incident which occurred at Government House +in Sydney, when his cousin, Sir Hercules Robinson, was Governor. +Invitations had been issued for a reception, at which Captain St. John, +the aide-de-camp, called out the names of the guests as they arrived. +Presently, he called out "Mr. Smith!" In response, one of those present +walked towards the Governor, saying, "I don't think your two-year-old +filly will win the Stakes this year," and went on talking racing +matters. The captain relieved the situation by informing him that there +were refreshments in the other room. When all the guests were assembled, +Sir Henry Parkes, the then Premier, asked Captain St. John, how that +man, pointing to Mr. Smith, came to be there, and said, "Do you know +that he is one of the greatest scamps in Sydney," and added, "For God's +sake get him out of here, or there'll be a scene." Captain St. John said +he only knew that his name was Smith, but acting on Sir Henry's advice, +he approached him, stating that he had by mistake received the +invitation intended for another Mr. Smith. The man retaliated by saying +in a loud voice, "Oh, ah, very well; I've had two whiskeys and a soda, +which comes to eighteen-pence. Here is half-a-crown; you may keep the +change yourself." + +In 1875, I loaded my two teams for a new diggings which had broken out +about 40 miles S.W. of Cooktown. The township had been called Byerstown, +after Johnny Byers, who had established a business there. Mr. Byers, +many years after was appointed Government Land Agent at Hughenden, and +subsequently Land Commissioner there. He is now stock and station agent, +doing good business in that town. + +Finding carrying paid well, I purchased another waggon, and by breaking +in more steers, established my third team. These I now loaded for +Edwardstown. This was the popular name for the main township, about 40 +miles up the Palmer River from Palmerville. It was officially known as +Maytown, but the diggers would not recognise the latter name. To reach +this place we had some very rough country to negotiate by a new road +opened from the Laura, over what was called the Conglomerate. Although +not as good as the road _via_ Palmerville, it was much shorter. On +returning to Cooktown I loaded my three teams for Blacksoil, where +there was a store kept by Sam Burns, who, I understand, is still in that +locality. + +The wet season set in much earlier this year, and caught us in the +flooded country beyond the Normanby River, but by double banking the +teams, and working in the rain, we reached an anthill flat which was so +boggy that it was impossible to cross unless we made a sound road. We +had passed two teams camped, but as I was within 15 miles of my +destination, I determined to push on. My drivers and I cut down +saplings, and made a corduroy, across which we sledged the twelve tons +of loading. This was rather risky, as we had a quantity of dynamite on, +the explosive caps of which were inserted in 50lb. bags of flour. During +our work, which took three days to complete, the other teamsters would +frequently ride past and say, "That's right, boys, make a good road for +us," but did not offer to help. This riled me and my men. + +Sub-Inspector O'Connor, knowing we were close, rode over with his +troopers to give us a hand. When we had got the last of the waggons +through, and put the loads on again, it was quite dark. After supper I +said it would serve the other fellows right if we took up the saplings +and burnt them. The idea caught on with the men, and by the aid of the +troopers, we took up every stick and, with some trouble, made a huge +bonfire of them. As they were saturated with water it was difficult +setting them alight, and the rain continued the whole time. However, by +about midnight we completed our job, tired out, wet through, and no dry +blankets to sleep in. Next morning, we were yoking to move on when the +owner of the other teams came up and threatened us with revenge for +burning the timber. When he saw O'Connor and his troopers he calmed +down, and returned to his teams, regretting he had not assisted us. He +now had to do as we had done, but with all the saplings which had been +in close proximity cut down. The next day we reached our destination, +and formed a good camp at the Blacksoil to enjoy our Christmas dinner +and a well-earned rest. + +I now began to feel a tinge of rheumatism in my arms through wearing wet +clothing continuously. About the new year one of my saddle horses came +into the camp with a portion of a spear stuck in his rump. We threw him +and cut out the barbed head of the spear, but the wound afterwards +remained a running sore. I caught the camp horse, which we always kept +hobbled, and started in search of the others. In following the tracks, I +found where the blacks had rounded them up--killing two, one my +favourite hack--and had taken away the meat for consumption. + +After mustering the others, I reported the matter to O'Connor, who had +just received the information of the murder of two packers, and was +preparing for a long patrol. Six troopers, O'Connor and myself, +started--all being fully armed. I took them to where the blacks had +killed two horses; the boys then followed the track by instinct, as I +thought. The rain had washed out all signs to me. When crossing a high +ridge, so bare and hard that our horses left no tracks, two of the +trackers were riding ahead, the others driving the pack horses behind. I +said to O'Connor, "I don't believe they are on the tracks." "Well," he +said, "I can't see any, I will call them back." He called out "Sambo!" +which was the name of the Corporal, "Where track?" Sambo pointed to a +blade of spinifex. I asked "Where?" He answered, "There." So I got off +my horse, and there was a tiny speck of blood which had dropped on the +root, and had not been washed off by the rain. It turned out the Myalls +had been carrying the flesh of my horses, and the blood had dropped here +and there. + +We came to where the blacks had had a great feast on the bank of the +Kennedy River. At this spot it was rather wide, with a sandy bed, the +water running over it about two feet deep. I found the shoes, tail, and +mane of my favourite horse on the bank. We held a consultation, and it +was decided to send two of the boys with the pack horses back some +distance from the river, and then to travel parallel with it, as the +country close to this river was very broken. The rest of the party were +to follow the river down towards Princess Charlotte's Bay. We had a boy +out on each side to see if the Myalls had left the river bed. They knew +we could not track them in the water. We followed the river down for two +days, and I shall not forget the torture of walking bare-footed on +coarse sand with water running over it. I tried walking in the water +with my boots on, but the sand came into my boots and made my feet quite +sore. O'Connor was in the same plight as myself. + +On the afternoon of the third day, the boys saw smoke rising about a +mile ahead. We immediately left the river and put up our tents for a +camp, short hobbling the horses with no bells on, but could not boil the +billy, as smoke from the fire would be seen. The moon rose about +midnight, and as the rain had ceased, we decided to start about 2 a.m., +leaving our horses and belongings in camp. + +It was a rather weird procession as we made our way along the river. +Five naked black troopers in single file in the lead, their only dress a +cartridge belt round the waist and cap on head. They were most +particular in wearing it when going into action, otherwise there would +be difficulty in recognising them or each other. O'Connor, myself and +the corporal brought up the rear. + +After travelling some distance through grass, which in places was over +our heads, we heard a peculiar chuckle on an island in the bed of the +river. It was decided to send the five boys round to the other side, +whilst we, O'Connor, Sambo, and myself remained, and waited. Towards +daylight we heard shots apparently about a mile down the river, and ran +in their direction. We had not gone far when a big black fellow sprang +up from the river, disappearing in the long grass before I could bring +my rifle to the shoulder. I then heard a shot behind me. We afterwards +found the Myall dead, and eventually reached the place where the blacks +had camped. The boys had previously dispersed most of them. If at any +time I felt a compunction in using my rifle I lost it when I thought of +the murders of Strau, his wife and daughter, and the outrages committed +upon them, and again of the murder, and eating, of two packers a short +time before. + +We burnt all the blacks' weapons and several dilly bags containing the +dead bodies of infants which they carried about with them. The stench of +burning human flesh was sickening. + +I went with one of the troopers down the river, where the soil at the +roots of a large gum tree had been hollowed out by the water. Underneath +it resembled a huge cave. Without saying anything to me, the trooper +fired two shots into the cave. I then asked, "What are you firing at?" +He replied, "Two fella sit down there." After which he hauled out the +dead bodies of two blackfellows. + +On our way back we met the troopers from the Palmer, who were also out +for the same tribe. The Palmer police went on down the river, and we +returned to the Laura Camp quite tired out. The troopers told us the +reason they did not stop at the island on their way down was because it +contained only a mob of old gins, who had knocked up the previous +evening, and could not make the camp. + +When preparing to return to Cooktown, O'Connor prevailed upon me to wait +at the police camp while he and the troopers patrolled the road past +Murdering Lagoon. On his return, he told me the blacks had been there +during the wet season, and had dug up Johan Strau's grave, and carried +off the bodies. When I arrived at the place with the teams, I saw the +stains made by the chest of tea the blacks had pillaged off the dray on +the day of the murder. + +Sub-Inspector O'Connor was a cultured Irish gentleman. Being possessed +of a private income, he would provide money prizes for shooting amongst +his troopers, and despite being only possessed of the old Snider rifle, +they quickly developed into good shots. Probably this and their known +capabilities in tracking induced the Victorian authorities to +requisition their services to track the noted Kelly Gang bushrangers in +1878. Mr. O'Connor and his boys, with Constable King, from Maryborough, +were at Glenrowan when Ned Kelly was taken prisoner, and the remainder +of the gang burnt in the public house. + +[Illustration: NORTH GREGORY HOTEL. ROBT. FITZMAURICE, LICENSEE. 1879.] + +On reaching Cooktown I again loaded my three teams for Maytown, +returning to Palmerville empty, where I sold one of my teams. On the +trip my rheumatism became so bad that I determined to take a trip to +Sydney, leaving my teams to camp during the wet season now commencing, +in charge of one driver and the black boy. + +I left Cooktown in the E. and A. Company's s.s. "Singapore" in December, +1875. On board I made the acquaintance of Captain Pennefather, lately +Comptroller of Prisons, who, at that time, had a fleet of boats at +Thursday Island, engaged in pearl fishing. On arrival at Townsville, +John Dean (late M.L.C.), came aboard, and we renewed an acquaintance +formed some years before when he was butchering at Townsville, and where +I had purchased steers from him. + +It was my first trip on the coast, and with fine weather, I was +delighted with the beautiful scenery. Owing to the early rains the +numerous islands were clad in their richest verdure, especially did the +Whitsunday Passage appeal to me. Most of the islands in the passage were +inhabited by aboriginals, who made a practice of coming out in their +canoes to the steamers, picking up food, etc., thrown to them from the +ship. One of our crew threw out a loaf of bread, which was attached to a +piece of rope. A blackfellow and his gin in a canoe close by the ship +caught the loaf, but the moving of our boat tightened the line, which +pulled him out, his canoe being capsized, and he and his gin were +struggling in the water. However, as they were good swimmers, they soon +righted their canoe with the loss only of the loaf of bread. During the +trip lunch was spread daily under the awning on the top deck. This was +much more pleasant than down in the stuffy cabin. After leaving Moreton +Bay the sea became rough. A water spout formed not far from the ship, +and it appeared large enough to swamp us had we been under it. The wind +made it hard to light matches for a smoke, so Captain Pennefather +introduced his flint and steel, and lit a stick composed of dry buffalo +manure; this we found very useful with which to light our pipes. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +We arrived at Sydney on a Friday night early in January, 1876. John Dean +required a rig out, and being a man of 21 stone weight could not buy a +ready-made shirt, so had to be measured. We stayed at the Occidental +Hotel, in Wynyard Square, and hearing that "Our Boys" was being played +at the Theatre Royal, took seats in the orchestra stalls, which +consisted of wooden spring seats. We arrived when all was quiet and the +play in progress. As John sat down every screw came out of the seat, and +he plumped on the floor to the amusement of the audience. The fun was +greater when he was seen slowly, but successfully, to lower himself into +another seat. + +After the performance, thinking we had sufficient bump of locality to +find our hotel without inquiry, we walked, and continued walking until +we found ourselves down at the wharves, which, we had been told, was an +undesirable quarter at any time, but especially late at night. From a +passer-by, we learnt that the hotel was a long distance off. After +receiving instructions, we reached our lodging just as the bar was being +closed at midnight. Dean suggested a drink, which we ordered at a side +window, and asked the barmaid to bring the liquor into an adjoining +room. A man calling himself Count Bismarck, and who was greatly excited +about something, was in the bar. He said to Dean, "Aren't you going to +shout for me." Dean replied, "No," at which the Count remarked, "Oh, +never mind, I have plenty of money." Dean replied, "You must be a mean +blooming beggar, then, to ask me to shout." Dean and I sat at a small +table discussing the play, when a revolver shot rang out and something +seemed to strike us. We immediately rushed for a green baize door, but +saw no one. On returning to the room, the barmaid, who was quite pale, +asked "Are you dead?" I answered, "No." At the moment I did not realise +the absurdity of the question, or that the answer was unnecessary. + +We failed to find the German, who had disappeared. Mr. Yeo, the +landlord, ran in to inquire what the trouble was. When we returned to +the room I found a bullet under the chair I was sitting on. It had +struck the ceiling, and brought down the plaster. Later, in Melbourne, +John Dean heard that Count Bismarck had been sentenced to two years' +imprisonment for shooting a man. + +After a very pleasant time in Sydney, I found the rheumatism had left +me, so I deemed it desirable to return north, and to work. On my arrival +in Townsville I found the wet season was not yet over. Many friends +prevailed upon me to stay back in Townsville, where I put in a most +enjoyable fortnight with some of my old pals. + +At the end of the fortnight, the s.s. "Banshee," a boat of about 100 +tons, was advertised to sail for Cooktown, _via_ the Hinchinbrook +Channel. I booked my passage by her, and was informed she would sail at +5 a.m. on a certain day. + +I was staying at the Criterion Hotel, on the beach, where the evening +previous to my intended departure, I was given a send-off, which lasted +into well-advanced morning. Owing to this I missed the boat. + +A few hours afterwards it was blowing a cyclone. Spray came over the +hotel. It was thought the "Banshee" could not live through the blow, and +we were not surprised when we learnt very quickly that she was wrecked +about 3 p.m. the same afternoon. It was ascertained later that, finding +her engines were not powerful enough to make headway against the wind, +the captain tried to weather a rocky point on Hinchinbrook Island, so +that he might beach her in a sandy bay beyond. She failed to get around +the point, and lifted by a wave over the rocks, became fixed in a cleft, +where she soon bumped a hole in her hull. Such of her crew and +passengers who were not lucky enough to be thrown far inland were +drowned, or crushed to death. One passenger, named Burstall, crawled out +on a boom, from which the waves swept him high on to the rocks. A +following wave put him out of danger, but left him considerably bruised. +Out of thirty-seven on board, sixteen were saved, one a stowaway, who, +it was said, walked out of the hole made in the ship's hull by the +rocks. + +A few days afterwards I returned to Cooktown by the s.s. "Singapore," +and saw what was left of the "Banshee" in the distance. In February, +1877, the "Singapore" ran ashore on L. Island, off Port Mackay, and +became a total wreck. + +I had left my riding horses in Cooktown, and a day or so after my +arrival, I went on to Palmerville to send my teams down to the Port. +Having done this, and started them two days ahead, Mrs. Jackson, whom I +have mentioned as having met some years previously in the Peak Downs +district, asked me to take 200 ounces of gold down to the bank. I agreed +to do so, carrying it in my valise on the saddle. I was very glad when I +reached the waggons to get rid of the gold, as it proved a very dead +weight on my legs. + +During this wet season (1876), the Government had sent a boat to the +Laura River to carry travellers across. These were very few. The boatman +was very much alone, and I found that the blacks had taken the +opportunity of eating him. While driving the leading team up the bank, I +saw numbers of blacks' tracks all around the boat. We drew up a short +distance from the bank, and after unyoking, I made my customary visit to +water, with towel and bucket, which latter was filled for the cook. The +water in the river was running in a channel on the opposite side, and +when I was close to it, I heard a chuckle such as the blacks make. +Looking towards the crossing I saw a mob of blacks bathing, and one +running towards the bank. Without a second look, I dropped the bucket, +and sprinting across the sand and up the bank to the waggons, I called +out, "Get the rifles ready! The blacks are at the crossing." After +waiting some little time we saw Sub-Inspector Townsend and his black +troopers riding towards us. He stayed for dinner, and from mutual +explanations I learnt it was his troopers' tracks I had seen. They were +returning from an inspection down the river, and had camped at the +crossing over night. They decided to have a bogey before dinner, and the +boy I saw running, went to get his uniform cap to denote a trooper. Had +I taken a second look, I should have seen Mr. Townsend with them. He +laughingly described me racing, hidden with sand which my feet were +scooping up, in my haste to get the firearms. + +Up to now, carrying had been so remunerative that one would have seen +one-time station managers, ex-inspectors of police, old naval men, and +all sorts and conditions of other men wielding the bullock-whip and +making good earnings, but as competition became keener, carriage fell +much lower and more difficult to obtain. The goldfield was falling off, +and more in the hands of the Chinese. I had a very hard time to keep my +three teams in employment during the year. + +In December, 1877, I again suffered severely from malaria, and having +previously sold one of my teams, I decided to make another trip to +Sydney, leaving the driver to bring down the two teams to the Laura, and +camp there until my return. The wet season was setting in, consequently +we could not procure any loading. I had an uneventful trip down to +Sydney, and again met with John Dean at Mona House, in Wynyard Square. + +I returned to Queensland about the beginning of March, 1878, the malaria +having left me. + +Passing through Townsville, I met Fitzmaurice, who told me that carrying +had fallen away between Cooktown and the Palmer, and that he had left +that district. He suggested that I should join with him in carrying to +the western country, and added that he had been informed by a squatter +that there was a good opening for a store at the Conn Waterhole, on the +Diamantina River. This is about forty miles down the Western River, from +where Winton now is. + +The suggestion appealed to me, and it was agreed that I should go on to +Cooktown, start my two teams overland to Townsville, then return and +drive one of his three teams on our western trip without loss of time. + +On my arrival in Cooktown, I went to the Laura, where the teams were +still camped. Everything was in order, and my bullocks fat. I started +them on their long trip overland to Townsville, where Fitzmaurice and I +had purchased sixteen tons of assorted merchandise from Clifton and +Aplin. Arriving in Townsville in a few days by steamer, we loaded up for +the far and, to most Queenslanders, what was then unknown country. + +Both Fitzmaurice and myself were well known to the firm through our +carrying for them from the Port to the several diggings. They generously +gave us the goods without our paying any cash, and without giving even +the scratch of a pen. When I returned to Townsville at the end of 1879 +to purchase more supplies, I signed a promissory note for the cost of +all the goods at four months. Practically, Messrs. Clifton and Aplin +generously gave us the sixteen tons of goods on a credit which extended +over twelve months, and which were only paid for when the note matured. + +It was my fortune to have now met in Townsville a man who was then +bearing a high reputation in North Queensland, but who was soon to +become famous farther afield. By some reason I cannot even now +understand, the diggers very seldom put their confidence or trust in the +wrong man, and in John Murtagh Macrossan, they found their idol. +Mentally big, physically small, his eloquence, ability and courage +brought him, on their behalf, into conflict with strong and powerful +influences. + +I met him later in the Parliament of 1888. In this were many able men, +but none, not even the great chiefs McIlwraith and Griffith, could +overshadow Macrossan. + +In his private life, which was most exemplary, I found +Macrossan--although it was said he was otherwise--to be most tolerant to +all who might differ from him in social and religious matters. Like most +of his countrymen, he was, however, in politics, a strong, bitter +partisan. Once a question became political, if one did not agree with +Macrossan, he made an enemy. Between him and McIlwraith a close, +personal friendship existed for years, but towards the end of +Macrossan's life they became estranged. This was due to the strong, +independent stand Macrossan took on a political matter which gave +McIlwraith offence. + +In a conversation I had with McIlwraith just prior to his leaving +Queensland, as it turned out to be, for ever, he spoke most feelingly of +Macrossan's memory and their earlier friendship. + +Although Macrossan had many chances of enriching himself, he died, in +1891, as he had lived, a man, poor in the world's goods, but rich in the +esteem and respect of all, not excepting those who very widely, and +strongly differed with him on political, national, or religious matters. + +Had he lived in latter years, I doubt if he would have become a popular +leader of what is generally designated as "The People." + +He was not an opportunist, and he could not submit his independence of +mind, character, or principles to any person or junta. + +His breach with Sir Thomas McIlwraith proved this. + +If an impartial biography of John Macrossan should ever be written, it +will prove interesting and instructive reading. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +We started the teams from Townsville about the end of July, 1878, and +passed a gang engaged on construction of the railway line to Charters +Towers at Double Barrel Creek, now known as Toonpan, 17 miles from +Townsville. + +Our destination was Collingwood, more widely known as the Conn +Waterhole, where the Government Surveyor had laid out a township +situated about 40 miles west of Winton. + +Having heard that the business men of Charters Towers were offering a +reward of L50 to any carrier who would open a more direct road to the +western country, and that a road party had left to mark the line, we +decided to try and win it. On our arrival at the Towers, we interviewed +the merchants, who disclaimed any knowledge of a reward having been +offered for opening the road. We decided to follow the road party, who +had marked a line to junction with the old Flinders road. On the journey +I found a tree on which I had cut my initials when travelling to the +Gulf with sheep, some twelve years before. Owing to double banking the +teams through the heavy sand bordering "Billy Webb's Lake," we had to +camp without water that night. There was green picking on the water-less +lake for the bullocks, but they had to be watched. The road party had +left an empty cask where they had camped on the lake, and one of the +bullocks, a poly, smelling water in the bottom of the cask, forced his +head into it. On lifting his head, the cask came with it. The bullock, +being unable to see, made for his mates with their bells on, and then a +general stampede of the bullocks took place in all directions. Finally, +a bell bullock made for the timber, the poly followed him, and running +against a tree, smashed the cask. Thus ended an amusing incident, with +no damage done except to the cask. + +The road party left the old road and made a ploughed furrow across the +downs to Rockwood Creek, which we followed, and camped the night there. + +Fitzmaurice, whilst riding after the bullocks, met Mr. Bergin, the man +in charge of the party, who told Fitzmaurice that he was instructed to +mark a direct line to Collingwood, on the Western River, and that he +intended going up Thornhill Creek, cross the divide between the +Landsborough and Diamantina Rivers, and then run down Jessamine and +Mill's Creeks to the Western River, and thence to Collingwood. + +We took the road up Rockwood Creek to its head, and crossed the same +divide as the road party were going, only farther north, striking the +head of Manuka Creek, which we ran down to its junction with Mill's +Creek. This we followed to the present site of Winton, which we reached +at the end of October. The new road opened by the road party had so many +patches of heavy sand on it, and long stages for water, that it was +never used by carriers, and some years later Ramsay Bros. obtained +permission from the Government to close that portion of it running down +Jessamine Creek, on the Oondooroo run. + +A few years later the Government made tanks on the road between +Hughenden and Winton, after which all traffic from Townsville to Winton +and the west generally, came that way. + +Mr. Tom Lynett, whom I had previously known on the Palmer, and who was +backed by Burns, Philp and Co. to start a store, had left Townsville for +the same destination as ourselves, if the locality was found to be +suitable. + +He did not overtake his teams until they reached the Twelve-mile Hole, +on the Elderslie road, where he stopped them while he rode on to +Collingwood, the newly-surveyed township, to inspect. + +He concluded the country was subject to floods, so he turned his teams +back, and decided to build on the spot on which we found him camped when +we arrived with our teams. + +We also met a man named Bob Allen, who had been located in the +neighbourhood for two years or more. Allen was an ex-sergeant of police, +who left Aramac about 1875 to start a store and public house on what is +known as the Pelican Hole, one mile west of the site of Winton. Very +heavy rains fell in 1876, and we were told he was compelled by floods to +remain two days on the wall-plate of his building. + +When the water allowed him, he shifted what was left of his hotel and +store, and re-erected them on the present site of the Queensland +National Bank, Winton. + +Allen, Lynett, Fitzmaurice and I discussed the removal of the building, +and forming the town back on higher ground. + +We offered to do the work without cost, but Allen and Lynett decided to +remain where they were. We had to accept the position, and agreed to +build in line with the others. + +This formed the base upon which Mr. Surveyor Jopp laid out the township +afterwards. + +After putting up a skeleton shed covered by tarpaulins, I obtained from +Ayrshire Downs two loads of wool for our teams, returning to Townsville. +In the meantime, Fitzmaurice had disposed of L600 worth of goods. I was +occupied a whole day pasting the pieces of the torn and damaged cheques. +I then started for the nearest bank, which was at Aramac, 250 miles +away. + +A drought being on, I had many difficulties in getting through. + +There were only 5,000 sheep on Vindex, and these were camped on a +water-hole which had been filled by a stray thunderstorm. The remainder +of the sheep from the run were travelling for grass and water on the +coast near Townsville. As a compliment, I was allowed to replenish my +water-bag, and to obtain one drink for each of my two horses. + +My next camp was off the road on East Darr Station, where a mob of +kanakas were cutting down scrub for fencing. + +When I reached Muttaburra, I found the hotel to be a grass hut. It +proved to be a very rowdy place, so I decided to camp on the ridge +outside the town without food, and have my breakfast when passing +through in the morning. + +I carried L600 worth of cheques in my trousers pocket. This I thought +was the safest place. + +I was very pleased when at last I reached Aramac, after bank hours, and +handed the money to Mr. Fulton, the manager of the Queensland National +Bank, and the next morning found only L30 of them dishonoured. + +Immediately on my return to Winton, I started for Townsville to load my +two teams with timber and iron to build an hotel. I travelled with +Fitzmaurice's teams to assist them over a dry stage to Rockwood. + +We camped close to Oondooroo Station and when bringing the bullocks in +to be yoked in the morning, one of them jumped and tossed his head in +the air, and I then saw a tiger snake disappear in a hole near by. The +bullocks were yoked up, and after going a short distance the off-side +poler of one of the teams dropped dead. On examination, we found two +small punctures in the nose. It was the bullock I had seen jump and +throw up its head. + +When we reached Manuka Station there was only one water-hole near the +road. The owner of the station was preserving this for his stock. The +distance to the next water was 20 miles, so it was absolutely necessary +we should obtain a drink for the bullocks before we tackled the long +stage. + +I interviewed Mr. Anderson, the owner, and having explained our +position, asked to be allowed a drink for the bullocks. He flatly +declined to allow this. + +After about an hour's pleading, he gave his consent subject to the +proviso that the bullocks should be watered in batches of ten at a time, +and so preserve the hole from being puddled. We watered the stock in the +evening, and by travelling all night, managed to reach Rockwood without +mishap. Here I was told I would get water for myself and horses 25 miles +further on. + +The next water after that would be 55 miles to Hughenden, on the +Flinders River. + +I left the teams to make a long road round Tower Hill, which was a +good-watered route. When I reached the 25-mile, where I was told I would +get water, I found the ground just glassy, the water having evaporated +in the December sun. + +Knowing the distance I would have to go without water, I decided to +hobble the horses out on dry grass, and dodged the sun round a tree +until the afternoon, when I saddled up. In about ten miles I passed +Cameron Downs Station, which was deserted. I reached the water about +eight the following morning, very thankful to have come through the 80 +miles safely. It had been a glorious moonlight, by which I could see the +tracks of numerous snakes on the road. I felt that if my horses were +bitten it would mean a perish for me. + +I remained at the water until about 5 p.m., when I rode into Hughenden +township, which was formed on the spot where I had camped with the sheep +some twelve years before. I put up at Magnay's hotel, and was glad to +have a square meal for dinner. + +In the morning I resumed my journey, and having previously travelled the +track frequently, went miles off it to obtain better feed for the horses +to camp. + +I overtook my own teams between Dalrymple and Townsville, and drove one +of them to the camp outside the latter town. + +After engaging another driver, the timber, iron, a billiard table and +some stores were duly loaded and despatched. I remained to sign the four +months' promissory notes for these and the goods previously referred to, +and to give the teams time to negotiate the 30 miles to Thornton's Gap, +as the crossing of the coast range was called at this place. At the foot +of the Gap I joined them, and assisted in getting them to the top. I +left the teams here and rode on to Winton. + +On my arrival, I found that Fitzmaurice had sold out of most of the +supplies except the grog, which he was keeping for the hotel. He then +started on horseback for Townsville to give delivery of the wool, and +load up his three teams with stores, etc.; also more timber and iron to +build the store. He would also bring his wife and child with him. + +At this time Winton was the rendezvous of some of the worst characters +of the west; fights were frequent on the then unformed streets. + +The rowdies threatened to take the grog in the store, and as there were +no police nearer than Aramac, I deemed it best to dispose of all the +liquor to Allen, the local publican, who jumped at the chance to obtain +a supply. + +A few residents formed themselves into a vigilance committee. + +The late Mr. J. A. Macartney passed through to visit his property, +Bladensburg Station, and seeing how things were, wrote to the Home +Secretary asking for police protection. + +My teams had now arrived with the building material, and carpenters were +put on to erect the hotel. This was not finished until the end of 1879, +when it was opened under the name of North Gregory Hotel. + +Great difficulty was experienced with the floors, there being no timber +for them. We puddled the mud and got the black gins to tramp it down, +adding a picaninny to their backs to increase their weight. + +About July of this year, Fitzmaurice returned from Townsville with three +horses and a light dray on which he had brought his wife and little +girl. + +Taking a plan of the hotel with me, I started for Aramac to interview +Mr. Sword, the P.M. (afterwards member of the Land Court), to obtain a +provisional license. This he refused to grant until the building was +erected. + +When I returned Winton was entirely out of liquor, and Allen did a great +business in selling bottles of painkiller as a substitute. It was +laughable to see men take a bottle out of their pocket, saying, "Have a +nip, mate, it's only five shillings a bottle?" + +About March, 1880, the Western River was in high flood, and ran miles +wide. + +Sub-Inspector Kaye, of the native police, and Mr. John Haines, the +manager of Elderslie Station, were in town, and wished to get to the +station 40 miles down the river. + +We put our carpenter on to make a boat, which carried them and the +troopers safely to their destination. + +Shortly afterwards Sub-Inspector Fred Murray came out from Blackall, +bringing with him Sergeant Feltham, who formed the police station in a +small building which I rented to them. + +There was only a log to which offenders were chained. One day Feltham +went down to the store, leaving a prisoner chained up. Shortly +afterwards he was surprised when he saw his prisoner (who was a very +powerful man) marching into the public house carrying the log on his +shoulder, and call for drinks. It took three men to get him back to the +lock-up. + +Fitzmaurice's teams arriving, we were enabled to complete the store +building, stock it, and the hotel, and resume business, which had been +suspended owing to running out of goods, etc. My teams had gone down +empty, and were now on their way up with more loading. + +The original name for the town--now known as Winton--was Pelican +Water-holes. Bob Allen, the first resident, whom I have mentioned, acted +as post-master. The mail service was a fortnightly one, going west to +Wokingham Creek, thence _via_ Sesbania to Hughenden. There was no date +stamp supplied to the office, but by writing "Pelican Water-holes" and +the date across the stamps, the post mark was made, and the stamps +cancelled. This was found to be very slow and unsatisfactory. + +Allen was asked to propose a name, and he suggested that the P.O. should +be called "Winton." This is the name of a suburb of Bournemouth, +Hampshire, England, and Allen's native place. + +We had kept one of Fitzmaurice's teams to haul in firewood, and posts to +fence a paddock on Vindex run, the lessees, Messrs. Scott and Gordon, +having given us permission to do so. + +The manager of Elderslie also gave us permission to fence in a piece of +ground at the Pelican Waterhole for a vegetable garden. + +The team obtained employment at Bladensburg, where Mr. Macartney was +building a stockyard. As I felt clerical work to be hard on me, I would +take an occasional trip with the bullocks to relieve the drudgery. + +During this year the member for Gregory, Mr. Thomas McWhannell, passed +through Winton, and opportunity was taken to bring under his notice the +necessity for a water supply for the town. The disabilities we suffered +under were pointed out. We had to procure water from a hole in Mistake +Creek, two and a-half miles away, the water of which was frequently +polluted by numbers of dead cattle. By his efforts a sum was passed by +Parliament for water conservation. + +[Illustration: WESTERN RIVER IN FLOOD. LOOKING SOUTH FROM RAILWAY +STATION.] + +The Oondooroo bullock team had come in for supplies, but the driver +started drinking, and was unable to take the team home. + +Not having forgotten my old avocation, I took his place, and thereby +began a close friendship with the Schollick Brothers, who were +completely out of rations when I arrived. + +During this year the town and district were invaded by a plague of rats, +travelling from north-east to south-west in hundreds of thousands. + +The vermin would eat the buttons off one's coat when camping out. Cats +and dogs were surfeited from killing them. I told the Chinaman cook of +the hotel that I would give him a pound of tobacco if he caught a +hundred rats. That night, as I was sleeping on a stretcher at the back +of the store, I was several times awakened by what seemed to be a +stamping of feet. In the morning I found that the Chinaman had obtained +an ironbark wooden shutter, and rigged up a figure four trap with bait +underneath, and by this means had obtained a wheelbarrow full of dead +rats. + +These rats had bushy tails, and apparently lived on the roots of grass. +These devastated the country through which they passed. It was unknown +whence they came from or whither they went. + +The rats were followed by a plague of dead cats in the water-holes. The +rats had gone and the cats having had plenty, did not follow, but died +in the water-holes. + +Our team driver was James Gordon, one of two brothers who owned the +selection which later became famous as Mount Morgan. We sold this team +to Warenda Station, and James Gordon went with it. + +During this year (1879), Vindex Station was purchased from Scott and +Gordon by Chirnside, Riley and Co., of Victoria, who, like other +investors, spent money lavishly to develop the country. + +The manager was Mr. J. B. Riley. This gentleman died in 1889, but is +still affectionately remembered throughout the district. + +To those who knew him, his death was felt as that of a staunch personal +friend. By none was his death more regretted than by those who worked +for him, either as permanent or casual employees, and by whom a monument +to his memory has been erected on Vindex. + +Outside the property he controlled, J. B. had three personal hobbies, a +good horse, the Winton Divisional Board, and the local Hospital. Of +these three hobbies his principal one was the hospital and its sick +occupants. On his death it was felt that the most appropriate monument +to him would be a new ward for eye complaints to be added to the +hospital. + +This was generously subscribed to by all classes, and the J. B. Riley +ward of the institution served to remind us of one who, by his charity, +goodness and generosity, was a good man, but whose shyness did not allow +of this being known. His brother, Mr. F. W. Riley, and Mr. R. L. +Chirnside, who were closely associated with him, carried on his good +work, and became as deservedly popular. + +Throughout this year (1880) the town and district had made progress, and +new people were coming in. + +We were now doing a good business in both store and hotel, consequently +we had to depend on drivers for our teams without supervision. + +It was decided that I should follow the teams to Townsville to in some +way dispose of them, and also to bring up a man to assist Fitzmaurice in +the hotel. + +When I reached Dalrymple I learnt that one of Fitzmaurice's teams had +been swept over the rocks while crossing the Burdekin River, and that +eight of the bullocks were drowned. It appeared that the river, though +not a-swim, was running strong at the crossing. + +The first team crossed safely, but on the other reaching the strong +water, the driver of the team rode around to the off-side to keep the +bullocks up the stream. His efforts were unavailing. With his horse he +was carried into deep water, from which they were rescued in an +exhausted condition. Not so with the team. + +The bullocks were all drowned, and the waggon wrecked on the rocks. +Fortunately, being empty, only eight bullocks were yoked to the waggon, +but they were the pick of the team. This accident strengthened our +desire to dispose of the teams. + +I sold Fitzmaurice's remaining team at Townsville at a satisfactory +figure, and my own two teams were sold on their arrival to one of the +drivers on terms. + +The agreement was that we should provide him with loading from +Townsville to Winton at the rate of L30 per ton, until he had paid the +purchase money of it. This he did in a few trips. + +These teams could not carry the whole of the goods I had purchased, so I +left an order with Clifton and Aplin to forward the remainder by +carriers as soon as they could despatch them. I engaged a suitable man +to assist Fitzmaurice, and we left with saddle and pack horses for +Winton, taking the shorter road _via_ Charters Towers. + +This we left at Rockwood, to make a still shorter route across the Downs +from Culloden Station, over which the road party had ploughed a furrow +across to cut the head of Jessamine Creek, at the back of Oondooroo +Station. + +In crossing the divide between the Landsborough and Diamantina waters, +we rode over virgin country which was infested with bush rats, and +numbers of tiger snakes gorged after eating them. + +In one place, which was 25 miles from water, the snakes were so numerous +that we had a difficulty in getting our pack horses safely through them. +Yet it is argued that snakes are never very far from water. + +In 1880, Cobb and Co. bought up a number of mail services throughout +Western Queensland, and the general regularity and convenience of their +coaches served to open up the country. Cobb and Co. carried out its +contracts under great difficulty in times of flood, but more frequently +of droughts, and their record is one of which the company and its +servants might well be proud. Their coaches are now practically of the +past, but the time was when Cobb and Co.'s name was a synonym for +efficiency and, when humanly possible, for punctuality. There were many +less enjoyable ways of realising life than by, say, to be leaving +Barcaldine for Aramac in the dark of an early morning on the box seat of +a coach behind a spanking team of greys, driven by a master hand with +the whip and ribbons. And then if one stayed the night at a stage, where +two or more drivers met, and exchanged experiences of the trip, their +horses, but more than all of their passengers, what an interesting time +might be passed. + +It was remarkable how observant of passengers the drivers would be, +while the passenger all the time laboured under the impression that the +driver's time was taken up with his horses. + +The idiosyncracies of passengers would be discussed by drivers, and it +more than once happened I have heard of the peculiarities of certain +passengers at places hundreds of miles from where they came under +observation. + +Nearing Charleville, on a road I had not travelled before, I had a trip +I had made from Normanton towards Croydon related to me by a driver whom +I had never seen until then. + +I learnt he was told the story by the driver of the Blackall coach, who +had heard it in Barcaldine from Tommy Thompson, who was told it in +Winton by Tommy Cahill, who received it at Hughenden from Martin +Warneminde. + +I was quite satisfied and did not inquire further. + +Judging by the way they fulfilled the requests at different mail stages, +these men must have been gifted with wonderful memories. At one stage a +driver might be asked to call at Smith's, the storekeeper, and "tell him +to give you a couple of pounds of tea and some potatoes for me;" at +another to get a pair of boots, size three, for the missus; at Jones', +to get a bottle of eye lotion, and so on. These orders would be +faithfully given on arrival, and the goods obtained before the driver +would attend to his own comfort or pleasure. + +From personal knowledge of Cobb and Co.'s men, in fact to western +mailmen generally, one might lift one's hat with respect as a tribute to +honesty and faithfulness for work well done and duty honourably carried +out. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +In 1880, our young township was becoming heard of, and was honoured with +its first police magistrate in the person of Mr. Robert Johnstone. This +gentleman had been a Native Police officer, and was associated with +Dalrymple in his explorations on the coast north of Cardwell. Dalrymple +so much appreciated Johnstone's work that he named the outlet of one of +our great sugar districts--and a most beautiful stream--after him. + +I believe there is only one copy of Dalrymple's narrative of his +expedition extant, and that is in our Parliamentary library. This +narrative should be re-published as a school paper so that present-day +Queenslanders might know something of the history of discovery within +their own country. I doubt if many children, or even adults, know of the +work done by Dalrymple, Hodgkinson, Landsboro, the Jardines, and many +other Queensland explorers. + +At this time the Court House and lock-up were in the same building, +opposite our store, in the main street. It was built originally for a +boarding house. + +All the Winton streets were named after the stations which lay in the +direction in which the streets were running. For instance, east and +west--Elderslie, Vindex, Cork and Dagworth. Those facing the north were +called Oondooroo, Manuka, Sesbania and Werna. + +Mr. Johnstone conducted the first Government land sale this year, at +which Lynett and ourselves secured the allotments facing Elderslie +Street on the north side, extending through to Vindex Street at the +back, comprising an area of about three acres each. We had put a high +figure on our improvements, and we purchased the land at the upset price +of L6/10/- per half acre. Allen had only a half-acre facing the same +street, and this was purchased by the Queensland National Bank. The bank +immediately opened business in a Coffee room, which Allen had erected at +the back, pulling down the public house to erect banking chambers in its +place. Mr. Doherty was the first manager, succeeded by Mr. Alexander, +and by Mr. Arthur Spencer a year or so later. + +In 1879, Julius von Berger, a refugee from Schleswig Holstein, to escape +Prussian rule, commenced business as a chemist. He was clever in his +profession, unassuming in character, and behind his retiring disposition +was a fund of kindness and simplicity which endeared him to all. He +died, much regretted, a few years back at a ripe old age. + +The Government had now let contracts for building a court house and +police barracks in Vindex Street and post office in Elderslie Street. + +In 1881, a contract was also let by the Government to excavate a tank of +15,000 yards, to a man named Collins. He quickly commenced operations +with his plant at Magpie Gully, about half-a-mile from the town. When he +had made a hole of about 12 feet deep, a very heavy thunderstorm filled +the excavation with water. Previously, he had to cart his water nearly +three miles, and he was now desirous of utilising the water in the +excavation for his camp and horses. With difficulty he obtained +permission from the Government Inspector supervising the work to make +another roadway on the opposite bank. When this was allowed, he was able +to continue the work until he had got to a depth of 19ft. 6in., or 18in. +more than the specified depth of 18ft. He then removed the earth from +the opposite side to the required depth of 18ft. When completed, he put +in a voucher to be paid for the extra 18 inches, which the Supervising +Inspector refused to certify, unless the whole depth across was 18 feet +in accordance with the specifications. The earth was taken from one side +of the bottom of the tank and deposited on the other, to reduce the +whole depth by 18 inches. "Great is Red Tape." + +There was a change of management on Elderslie by the appointment of Mr. +Alexander Gordon. He was a splendid specimen of a man, 6ft. 7in. in +height, built in proportion, and most popular. I first met him between +Evesham and East Darr Stations. I inquired the distance to the latter +station, which he was then managing. He replied, "Oh! a couple of +canters and a smoke." It is told of him that when he was travelling on +the coach between Charters Towers and Hughenden, he stayed one night at +a stage which was a lignum hut, rather small in size. The driver +informed the other passengers that when he called Gordon at 4 a.m., he +found that he had stretched himself during the night, and that his feet +were through the lignum, and so far outside that fowls were roosting on +his legs. + +About this time many of the properties were changing hands. The +Schollicks still retained Oondooroo; Elderslie was held by Sir Samuel +Wilson; Dagworth, by Fairbairns, who shortly afterwards sold out to +Macpherson and Co.; Bladensburg, by John Arthur Macartney; Sesbania, by +Manifold, Bostock and Co.; Manuka, by Anderson and Nicol, who sold out +to Baillie, Fraser and Donald; Ayrshire Downs and Cork, by McIlwraith +and Smyth. The latter gentleman had camped with us when we were on the +road to Winton in 1878. He was taking out a blacksmith named Morgan for +Ayrshire Downs Station. Morgan afterwards started a blacksmith's shop in +Winton. + +Mr. Smyth was afterwards elevated to the Upper House, and although of a +retiring nature, was of a friendly disposition. + +All these investors were pouring money as if from a stream, and +developing their properties. + +The greater proportion of the capital so spent was from Victoria, and to +this State Western Queensland must be grateful for its development. + +Of all the then owners I have mentioned, and most of whom were resident +on their properties, only one remains--John Bostock, of Sesbania. If +those men did not win success they deserved it, and no one was more +worthy (and there were many worthy men) than John Bostock. Schollick's +spent over L100,000 on Oondooroo, and left it practically penniless. +Macpherson drove from Dagworth with all his belongings on a buck-board, +leaving unprofitable, and lost many thousands of pounds. Fraser, of +Manuka, who came a little later, died of a broken heart. Western +Queensland is greatly subject to mirages, and it is of the nature of +these which deluded many men with bright hopes to spend great fortunes. +These men battled on to the end, but being of fighting races, when they +went down they were still fighting with never a word of despair or of +defeat, and John Bostock alone remains. + +In this year Sir Thomas and Lady McIlwraith passed through Winton on +their way to Ayrshire Downs. The whole of the inhabitants turned out to +meet them at the police water-hole (six miles from Winton) after dark. +An address was read to Sir Thomas by the aid of a lamp on the road. I +had the pleasure of having them as guests in my cottage. + +This was my first meeting with McIlwraith, and I was greatly struck with +his personality. He was a man, big and broad, both physically and +mentally. Yet like most strong men, he was very head-strong and +impatient of obstruction to or criticism of his proposals. Neither could +he understand that it was not given to every man to see quickly and to +act promptly, attributes he possessed in a remarkable degree. + +At this time he had his Trans-continental Railway in mind, and he +patiently tried to get me to realise how closer settlement of the +western country by smaller areas would obtain under it more than it +would, under the conditions by which it was then held, that is, in very +large areas. The then short experience of residents of the western +country were conditions of drought, and I must admit that I thought his +ideas were visionary. I have, however, lived to see the success of the +grazing farm system and the great improvements effected by underground +water supplies. In 1881, these were practically undreamt of. It is +likely that McIlwraith could see farther into the future and dream +dreams unthought of by others. + +The publication of McIlwraith's scheme without doubt gave the hint to +Dutton, whose Land Act of 1884 was the inception of our present system +of grazing farms. It was unfortunate that the most bitter opponents of +McIlwraith's scheme were of the squatting class, who generally resented +the cutting up of the vast areas held by them. Had the squatters of the +day not defeated his proposals, the grazing-farm system would probably +have come into existence some years earlier than it did, and long ago +the Gulf country would have had an overland railway. That country would +be maintaining a large and prosperous population instead of being, as it +is now, almost deserted, and open to danger of occupation by coloured +races, and a menace to the safety of Australia. McIlwraith was a far +sighted statesman, having the interests of Queensland at heart, and not +a politician ready and willing to secure votes. + +In this year, Fitzmaurice's sight became affected, and he made a trip to +Sydney for expert advice. The whole business of the store and hotel was +now thrown on my hands. It was found on Fitzmaurice's return, after an +absence of six months, that he was almost blind. By mutual arrangement, +it was decided I should buy him out, and he left Winton one of the +best-liked men connected with its foundation, and as I found him, a good +friend and an honest partner. The life of a hotel-keeper did not appeal +to me, so I found a purchaser for the hotel at a satisfactory figure, +in Mr. W. B. Steele, of Aramac, who took delivery in April, 1882. + +William Brown Steele was a strange character. I believe he had qualified +as a chemist, but followed the different gold rushes from California to +Victoria, New Zealand, and Peak Downs, thence to Aramac and Winton. His +delight was to be accused of being an unscrupulous gambler--of the type +described by Bret Harte. I know he was fairly successful at a game of +cards, but this was due more to superior playing than to good luck or +manipulation. Still, if one who thought he was Steele's equal, proposed +a game, the latter would ask:--"Shall we play the game, or all we know?" +If the former was agreed to, the game was strictly honest. If the latter +was decided on, well, there was some wonderful playing on both sides. I +never knew of Steele playing with one inexperienced, or of transgressing +the rules of the game unless he was first challenged by his opponent. +Then he did play all he knew, and that was something. For many years +Steele ran a consultation on the Melbourne Cup which was well +patronised, until the anti-gambling legislation, which drove Adams from +Queensland, suppressed it, but did not stamp out gambling. + +I arranged a partnership with Mr. W. M. Campbell, traveller for Stewart +and Hemmant, of Brisbane. He and his wife and family were settled in +Fitzmaurice's house by the end of this year. + +The Bank of New South Wales had also opened a branch in a small building +on the south side of Elderslie Street. Mr. Barnier was the first +manager, succeeded afterwards by Mr. Alf. Thompson. + +Major Lewis, a veteran of the Indian Mutiny and Papal war, and a fine +old Irish gentleman, arrived to succeed Mr. Johnstone as police +magistrate. One of the first cases brought before him was a claim for +the return of money, under the following circumstances:--I had received +a letter from a man on Hamilton Downs Station, stating he was coming in +with the station dray for a load of rations, and was anxious to get +married. He asked me to look for an eligible female who was willing to +yoke up with him, and enclosed his photograph. Treating the matter as a +joke, I read the letter to the girls employed at the hotel. The +laundress, a big strapping woman, said she was willing to negotiate with +him. On the man's arrival I took him round and introduced him. After a +couple of days' courtship a date was fixed for the marriage. As an +earnest of his good faith, the man gave the woman a cheque for L26 to +buy her wedding trousseau. When the day arrived she refused to carry out +the promise of marriage. The man came to me for advice, stating that she +would not have him, neither would she return any of the money advanced. + +I wrote Mr. Conran, the owner of Hamilton Downs Station, explaining the +cause of the man's delay, and as the station was short of rations, +Conran came in. He and I interviewed the woman, pointing out her +dishonesty, but we were told to mind our own business. Mr. Conran then +went to consult the P.M. The sergeant of police told Conran the P.M. was +engaged, and asked could he do anything for him. Mr. Conran said he had +come up about a girl appropriating a sum of money given as a condition +of marriage. The sergeant said, "An' shure, an' won't she have yez now." +Conran enjoyed the joke of being taken as the rejected lover. + +Major Lewis and the police eventually recovered a portion of the money, +and the man returned sadder but much wiser, and I renounced for the +future any desire to act as matrimonial agent. + +About October, 1882, we received a wire from Hughenden, advising that +some teams which were carrying our loading had been caught in a flooded +creek, and the goods damaged. I immediately started for Wongalee Creek, +about 25 miles the other side of Hughenden, or 170 miles from Winton. I +found on my arrival the ground in the vicinity covered with drapery, +boots, ironmongery, besides nearly empty salt bags, etc., etc., put out +to dry. It appeared these teams had crossed the creek and camped on the +flat below the bank. A heavy thunderstorm had fallen up the creek during +the night and brought the water down a banker, submerging the waggons, +and destroying about L1,000 worth of goods. We had no redress against +the carrier, the accident, or incident, being considered an act of +Providence. The merchants assisted us by renewing our bills for four +months longer. + +In the same year, we ordered a large consignment of goods from +Townsville. It was a dry year, and the teams carrying them were stuck at +Hughenden. + +In those days the Government had not made the water tanks on the road +between Hughenden and Winton, and on the high, open downs country +permanent natural water was not obtainable only at long distances. +Hearing of the teams being stuck up, we immediately wired a duplicate +order to Rockhampton. The latter goods were despatched by rail to +Bogantungan (the then terminus of the central line), and loaded on +teams. The drought conditions, although not so pronounced as in the +Hughenden district, also existed in the Central. These teams were also +blocked. + +In about six months after the first order was given, the whole 14 teams +with the Rockhampton and Townsville goods arrived on the same day at +Winton, and I was called upon to pay L2,000 cash down for carriage +alone; while our summer goods arrived in the middle of winter. + +Fortunately we were able to meet our liabilities. + +In 1882, we had a visit--and the first--from a clergyman of any +denomination. + +He asked me if there was a place in which he could hold service on +Sunday. I told him that the only place was the billiard-room at the +hotel. I prepared it for the ceremony by draping a blue blanket over the +table, and I put a red one opposite over the cue rack, thinking it might +help him to put a little fire into his discourse. When all was ready, I +obtained the bullock bell from the kitchen. The Chinaman cook, who was a +sporting character, said:--"Wha for, nother raffle, all ri, put me down +one pund." He refused, however, to give the money when he learnt it was +for a church. + +When the clergyman was leaving, we decided to present him with a purse +of sovereigns in Campbell's house, and I was deputed to hand it to him. + +In making a short cut to the house I had to pass the hotel stables, into +which a squatter in the orthodox breeches, boots and spurs, was riding. +He called out:--"I say, Corfield, what are you wearing a coat for?" I +replied, "There's a function on; I'm going to present these sovereigns +to a parson." He asked, "Any champagne?" I replied, "Whips of it." He +then said, "Hold on, till I put my horse in the yard, and I'll come with +you." On reaching the house, I introduced him to the parson prior to the +presentation, and we had some champagne. With a few words I presented +the purse of sovereigns, when we naturally concluded we would be +thanked, but instead the parson said, "Let us pray." We all then knelt +to our chairs. Suddenly, as if from one in great pain, I heard the word +"Ker-ist." Thinking the parson had been bitten by a snake or something, +I looked round, but he appeared quite at ease. I then saw over in the +corner the young squatter with blood oozing out of his pants. He had sat +upon his long-necked spurs. The parson went on with the prayer, but +those present were more occupied suppressing their laughter than in +listening to the parson's prayers. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +In 1883, Judge Miller, with the present Mr. Justice Real as Crown +Prosecutor, opened the first District Court in Winton. Fred Riley and +myself had been put on the "Commission of the Peace," and appeared +before the Judge to be sworn in. We then decided that we should without +delay show that we were magistrates, and prepared to carry out our +duties. We found a good, hard-drinking man, and offered him ten +shillings to spend in drink. He gladly accepted the offer, and shortly +afterwards we were asked by the police to sit on a case of drunkenness +and disorderly conduct. Our man had kept to his agreement, and was +brought before us. We severely reprimanded him for his conduct and +discharged him. Judge Miller hearing of it, frequently recalled the joke +to my memory, and we had many a good laugh over it. + +Early in this year, Mr. Griffith (afterwards Sir Samuel) and Mr. Dickson +(afterwards Sir James) made a tour of the north-west, and travelled by +coach from Hughenden to Winton. The party was detained a night at +Stack's public house, about midway between the two towns, whilst the +mailman rode over to Sesbania with the mail. Mr. Griffith here made the +acquaintance of Schofield, who was managing a store near Stack's for +Charlie Rowe. Stack's house was not an inviting place, so the two +Ministers spent the evening in Schofield's quarters. The latter was +shortly afterwards appointed as Government agent on board the "Hopeful." +The history of this vessel is well-known in the Law Courts of +Queensland. Messrs. Griffith and Dickson were treated to a wine party in +Winton. There was but little enthusiasm shown at the meeting, the +majority of those present being strong McIlwraithians. + +Mr. Fraser, the managing partner of Messrs. Baillie, Fraser and Donald, +of Manuka Station, had been in the army, and had served through the +Indian Mutiny. He was highly respected by all, but was not popular +excepting among those with whom he was intimate. They knew him to be +very hospitable and kind, and a thorough gentleman. He came of a high +Scottish family, and was proud that one of his ancestral relations had +his head cut off for loyalty to his King. I remember being a silent +listener to the relation of some happenings which at one time or other +occurred in Ireland. The postmaster was a man who, rather young in +years, appeared to have had some experiences. He was telling Fraser of +the ill-feeling which was existent between two British regiments in a +town somewhere in Ireland, while he was there. One was the 65th, an +English, and the other the 89th, an Irish regiment. It seems that the +latter had been formed from the North Cork militia, which, I understand, +bore an unenviable reputation from their conduct during the rebellion in +1798. The townspeople had a long memory of this, and in the disturbance +amongst the soldiers, supported the English regiment against their own +countrymen. Fraser listened to it all, and then said, "By jove, wasn't +it bitter; I was captain of a company of the 89th, and some of my men +were badly knocked about." I thought it made the world very small to +hear such incidents being related in the far west of Queensland. + +Now that we had two banks, four hotels, a chemist, saddler, besides +other branches of industry, we felt that we were being drawn perilously +within the influences of civilisation and its drawbacks. + +[Illustration: SIR THOMAS McILWRAITH] + +The manager of one of the banks, who was deservedly popular owing to his +genial character, the kind way in which he could refuse one an +overdraft, and then suggest quite friendly and cheerfully to the +applicant: "What do you think; shall we put the gloves on?" This +gentleman had a very peculiar hobby, to attend the sick and dying, and +to bury the dead. Some incidents connected with his hobby, are as +follows:--A tank sinker from Ayrshire Downs died in the hospital. That +day a new warder and his wife, who came from beyond Boulia, were put on. +The doctor's instructions were that any person dying of typhoid fever, +as did the man in question, was to be taken out of the ward and buried +as quickly as possible. Immediately the man died, the wardsman was +taking the body straight into the morgue, after sending word to the +blacksmith, who was also the undertaker, to come up, and remove the body +straight away for burial. Some of the patients, seeing the body being +carried out, verbally assisted the new wardsman with their suggestions. +Thus, the dead man was to be washed, shaved, and have a clean shirt put +on. It was late in the afternoon; the wardsman did not like handling the +corpse, so the story goes, that he got a bucket of water and a mop, and +mopped the body down. This he left on the table in the morgue, and +forgot all about the clean shirt or the shaving. There was an +understanding between the police sergeant and the bank manager that as +there were no clergymen of any denomination in the town, the sergeant +would read the services for the Roman Catholics, and the manager for all +others. The undertaker-blacksmith would notify the reader required, and +funerals were carried out at any hour, day or night. The tank sinker's +funeral was timed to leave the hospital about 12.30 a.m. For some reason +the bank manager attended this funeral. The body was then in the coffin, +and a start made for the cemetery. There were some of the dead man's +mates present, and the bank manager heard them complaining that it was a +d----d shame to bury a man naked. When the funeral reached the +graveside, the idea struck the manager that, as he was wearing a clean, +white shirt, it would be the proper thing to open the coffin, put his +shirt on the corpse, and this was done. The action gave great pleasure +and satisfaction to the men present, who, as a mark of gratitude, on +return to town, wished to knock up the public-house people and shout +drinks for all hands. + +One night there was a funeral at which the manager was to read prayers. +The undertaker in this case had a small cart, used as a hearse, drawn by +a mule recently broken in, and not too quiet. As the funeral party was +walking to the cemetery in the dark, some one struck a match. This was +too much for the mule, which bolted across the plain at the back of the +cemetery. He reached the edge of a small gully and propped. The weight +behind, however, forced him over the bank. The coffin fell out, and the +top coming off, the body rolled out on the ground. After extricating the +mule, the body was put into the coffin again, and the top put on, the +nails driven home with stones. As the mourners objected to the further +use of the mule, the party carried the body to the cemetery much to the +disgust of the undertaker. + +Going home from Winton one night after a spree, a boundary-rider from +Ayrshire Downs got off his horse a few miles out, and fell asleep. He +woke up some time in the night, fairly sober, and found his horse gone, +so he started to walk, but having got off the road, perished midway +between the 20-mile and the Cockatoo dam, well-known places on this +road. The bank manager was assisting in the search for the lost man, and +happened to be with the police when the body was found, which was buried +on the spot. The dead man's wife lived in Toowoomba, and as the manager +had been remitting money from her husband to her, he informed her of the +latter's death. She acknowledged the letter, and expressed a wish that +the body might be dug up and brought into Winton for decent burial. She +asked how long the body would have to be buried before the flesh would +be off the bones and the remains could be brought in. The doctor advised +it would be fully six months. At the end of this time the widow arrived +in Winton to carry out her desires. Early one Sunday morning the widow, +accompanied by the bank manager and the undertaker, left town to exhume +the remains. The party had a white table-cloth in a red gin case with +the cover on to carry the bones. It was an extremely hot day as the +party reached the grave, and hobbled the horses out. The manager related +"that he and the undertaker soon had the bones upon the cloth in a nice +little heap. The widow examined each bone as it was laid down, and she +missed one of the knee-caps, so nothing would pacify her until it was +found. This we did eventually by rubbing the soil between our hands and +breaking the lumps. It was now near dark. We had arranged for the priest +to be at the cemetery by sun-down, and that the grave would be ready. +When we arrived about 10 o'clock at night the priest and the +grave-digger had gone. I then suggested that we should take the bones in +the box to Lynett's hotel, but the landlady wouldn't hear of the remains +being left at the hotel. Eventually we left the box and the bones in the +grave. The priest came out the next morning, and having read the +service, the remains were buried decently, and the widow was happy." + +The manager of one of the stations had died at the North Gregory hotel. +The body was immediately carried into the manager's private quarters, at +the rear of the business part of the bank. The accountant was seen +shortly afterwards protesting against the room, which happened to be +his, being used as a morgue. He is to this day certain that from the +spot where the hand of the corpse struck the wall as it was being put +down, knocking may still be heard on the anniversary of the incident. +This bank manager was possessed of great energy and perseverance, and a +business capacity seldom met with. He was highly respected and extremely +popular with everybody high and low throughout the western country, but +he is now the head of one of our principal industries. I often wonder if +he still has the inclination to bury people. + +Our firm had been supplying goods and spirits to a storekeeper at +Boulia, whose P.N.'s for a considerable sum of money were not met. Early +in 1884. I decided to go out to look into matters. I was accompanied by +a Mr. Howard, who was on the look out for a hotel. On my arrival at +Boulia I found that the storekeeper had erected a building as an hotel +on a piece of land which he had made several promises to purchase. I +found the owner, bought the land, and claimed the building erected upon +it. This I considered as equal to the money owing to us. Thos. Lynett, +of Winton, had started a branch store in Boulia, and had been supplying +the same customer with goods on credit, having the building as security. +When he heard that I had purchased the land and claimed the building, he +wired to Brisbane to stop the sale. However, nothing came of it. I sold +the property to Mr. Howard, and it was not long before he was able to +wipe out his indebtedness. + +Mr. Eglinton, late P.M. in Brisbane, then held a similar appointment at +Boulia. A race meeting, which included a hurdle race, was being held. In +this race all the horses baulked at the jumps and delayed the running. +It was then decided to let the races wait while the visitors had lunch, +etc. The judge joined our party. It was a hot day, even for Boulia; +refreshments were generous, and in demand. The judge, in common with the +visitors, was a thirsty soul. When we next turned our attention to the +course, a race was being run, so the judge decided to get into the box. +A grey and brown horse had negotiated the hurdles and were coming up the +straight neck and neck. When they passed the post the Judge decided that +the piebald horse had won. During my stay at Boulia I camped, by the +invitation of Mr. Coghlan, the manager at Goodwood Station, just across +the Burke River from the township. Mr. Eglinton, P.M., and Mr. Shaw, +manager of Diamantina Lakes Station, were also guests, and we were glad +to retire to this retreat after the uproarious happenings incidental to +western towns during race time. + +Before leaving, the P.M. asked Mr. Shaw and myself, who were both +magistrates, if we would take a "didemus potastatum" to Monkira, about +100 miles down the river from Diamantina Lakes, and swear in Mr. +Debney, the manager, as a Justice of the Peace. We consented; it was an +excuse for seeing more of the country, and for a longer outing. + +After a few days spent at the Lakes, we started with my team and buggy, +accompanied by Mr. Shaw's little daughter. We reached Davonport Downs, +then managed by Mr. McGuigan. He told us there were several very heavy +sand hills to negotiate, and offered the loan of a pair of staunch heavy +buggy horses. He suggested leaving my horses to spell. I accepted the +offer. Shaw and myself took it in turns to drive. At one of these sand +hills the horses stuck Shaw up, and refused, in spite of his +persuasions, to budge. After giving them a spell, Shaw suggested I +should take the reins. I had prepared my whip with a new cracker, but +failed to start the horses. I then addressed the horses in the language +of bullock-drivers, and stood up in the buggy to more effectually use +the whip. The horses started, and I kept them going. Just then a small +voice was heard from the back seat of the trap, "Mr. Corfield, will you +please remember there's a lady in the buggy." Shaw and I immediately +retired into our boots, but the horses gave no further trouble. + +At that time I think Monkira was the farthest station down the river. +Mr. Debney had come from Adelaide. He and Mrs. Debney gave us a splendid +reception. The governess to the family afterwards became Mrs. R. K. +Milson, of Springvale, and her eldest son lately was married to Miss +Morgan-Reade, of Winton. On our return to Davonport Downs, we found Mr. +McGuigan laid up with fever, so I took him into Winton. + +In November, 1884, Sir Thos. McIlwraith, who had been inspecting his +stations, passed through Winton, but while at Ayrshire Downs he received +news of his father's death, and refused all demonstrations. I drove him +to Vindex. On the road out I told him I contemplated leaving for England +the following year. He gave me many hints for my guidance; also a +letter of introduction to his brother, William McIlwraith, in London. + +The western country was now suffering from a very severe and prolonged +drought which brought ruin to many men, and heavy loss to those who +pulled through. Taking advantage of the dry spell, I had a small tank +excavated in my paddock. A heavy thunderstorm, averaging a little over +two inches, fell over the town, and being anxious to learn if it had any +water, I asked two friends to walk with me to the tank. We plodded about +a mile in the heavy soil. I was satisfied with the result of my +inspection; not so my companions, who lost their shoes in the boggy +ground, and heaped anathemas on me and my dam. + +Altogether their language on the return journey was of a very lurid +nature. + +This was the first rain for eleven months, and to celebrate it, Winton +held carnival for three weeks, during which time no business of any sort +was attempted. The time was devoted to sports and jollifications. About +two miles east and west of the town ran wire fences, the road passing +through gates. The peculiarity of this storm was that no rain fell +beyond the fences. It was a strange sight to see green grass on one side +of the wires and outside perfectly bare. + +I have somewhere in this narrative alluded to lignum, and it may not be +out of place at this juncture to describe what it is. Lignum is a small +shrub which grows in the dry-water courses. It is much used as walls of +houses--timber and iron being very expensive--roofing sheds, and such +like. It does not keep out the rain, but is sun proof. With the +thermometer running well past the 100 deg. in the shade, a roasting hot +wind such as obtains in the western country, there are many worse +pleasures to be enjoyed in the west than a lignum shed and a canvas bag +of cool rain water. Had old Omar known of the canvas water bag, he would +prefer to sing its praises rather than those of a jug of wine. Blessings +on the man who first thought of it. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + +In April, 1885, I left Winton by coach on my way to England. Mr. J. D. +Wienholt, of Warenda Station, and Mr. J. B. Henderson, late Hydraulic +Engineer, were fellow passengers. About 10 miles from Muttaburra we were +met by a cavalcade of people on horse back and in buggies to meet Mr. +Henderson. The coach having stopped, some bottles of champagne were +opened, and Wienholt and I were invited to join in. Mr. Henderson +accompanied the procession to town. Later in the day we were invited to +the dinner to him, to celebrate the completion of the town dam and tank, +which were still quite dry. Muttaburra had not had rain for nearly a +year. Mr. Henderson left us here to be conveyed by private buggy to +Aramac, where we again met. I travelled down the coast from Rockhampton +by the old "Keilawarra," afterwards sunk in a collision. + +The Russian war scare was on, and passing Lytton we had to undergo a +strict examination to prove that we were not spies. It can be imagined +with what prayers a number of sunburnt, outback Queenslanders paraded to +satisfy the defence authorities that they were peaceful and law-abiding +citizens. I remained three days in Brisbane, the evenings of which I +spent at the Exhibition, which was frequented by ladies and gentlemen +indulging in the pleasure of roller-skating. I resumed my journey to +Sydney, and left this city by train a few days later for Melbourne. This +was my first visit to the latter city, and I enjoyed perambulating +through its streets. I joined the s.s. "Sir John Elder" here, and sailed +for England. + +Passing through the Red Sea, we met the New South Wales contingent +returning from Suakim, where they had joined the Imperial troops, just +too late to take any active part in the Soudan campaign. + +When we reached Lake Timsah, half-way through the Suez Canal, we were +detained because of a dredge having sunk in the Canal and blocked the +channel. A party from the ship, having its headquarters at Shepheard's +Hotel, was formed to visit Cairo and the Pyramids. + +The dinner at 9 p.m. was held in a quadrangle of the hotel. + +The after-dinner scene was very charming. Chinese lanterns were hung in +the trees, the ladies in evening dress, the officers of the Imperial +Army in mess dress of different colours. + +Among those present were Lord Wolseley and General Macpherson. + +Coming down the Pyramid of Cheops, I had an Arab holding each hand, and +a boy with a gourd of water behind. The boy had unwound his cummerbund +to place under my arms by which to steady me in jumping down from one +ledge to the other. Half-way down I suggested a halt, when one of the +Arabs accosted me--"Which fella country you come from?" "America?" + +"No!" + +"England?" + +"No!" + +"Australia?" + +"Yes!" + +"Ah!" he said, "very good kangaroo, you!" + +We visited all the places of interest, including the battlefield of +Tel-eh-kebir. + +We reached our ship, which was still blocked in the Lake. The French +people in Ismailia sent their launches out to the ships, so we continued +putting time in going ashore every day and riding on donkeys. These +animals were generally called after beautiful women celebrities. Mine +was called "Lillie Langtry." When we got clear, 40 steamers were +blocked. Our ship led the procession through the Canal. There was only +just room for us to pass where the accident had happened, and when we +leached Suez 200 ships, including several men-of-war, were awaiting our +arrival to pass south. + +We spent a day at Naples, and in time I arrived in Plymouth Sound in +mid-summer, having left it 23 years before in mid-winter. As I had +accepted an invitation to visit my cousin, Mr. S. P. Newbery, who +resided at Plympton St. Mary, six miles out from Plymouth, so I left the +ship. This relative was land steward to Lord Morley. He had been +selected to judge the cattle at the Royal Agricultural Show at Preston, +Lancashire, and I accompanied him. The warm, genial weather added to my +enjoyment. We took up our quarters at Blackpool, as there was no +accommodation to be had in Preston. The Prince of Wales (late King +Edward the VII.) attended the show, and Mr. Newbery was appointed to +show him round. I followed as if in the Prince's retinue, and enjoyed +the novelty of the situation. Returning to Devonshire I spent a glorious +time keeping my cousin's horse in condition, and occasionally following +the hounds. Whilst there I made a trip to the Isle of Wight, and was +present in Fotheringham Church when Princess Beatrice was married to +Prince Henry of Battenburg. I need hardly say I was not present by +invitation. + +During my stay at Plympton St. Mary, the 1886 elections were held, and +my relative being in politics a conservative, took an active part in the +return of Sir John Kennaway (who died a few years ago, father of the +House of Commons). Mr. Newbery was chairman of many of his meetings at +which I attended. A polling booth was at the school house at Plympton, +and on the day of the poll, I was much amused to see gentlemen's +carriages being driven to the poll with the coachmen and footmen in +livery, and men in their working dress stepping out to vote. Presently +a Devonshire farmer drove up in his donkey cart. I noticed the donkey +was dressed in the Liberal colours. The farmer recorded his vote, and +came out on the porch, when he was accosted by another farmer, thus:-- + +"Wull! Farmer Symes, you been an' voted?" + +"Yus," he replied. + +"Wull, but how's this, I allus thocht ye was a Conservative?" + +"So I be." + +"But look at yer dunkey ther' all dress'd up in the Liberal colours?" + +"Ah!" he said, "I'm a man, but that's an ass." + +On returning to London I delivered my letter of introduction to Mr. +William McIlwraith, by whose kindness I met many leading business +people, as well as Lord Randolph Churchill, who appeared to be built up +of fine live wires. + +I left England in May, 1886, taking my passage through Cook and Son, +_via_ America. From New York I made trips to Baltimore, Philadelphia, +and Washington. After a week or so I joined the overland train for +Albany, visiting Niagara Falls, and other interesting places in that +locality. Going on to Chicago, I spent a few days visiting the meat +works. Wonderful energy had been shown in re-building the city after the +destructive fire which happened a short time previously. From Denver I +travelled by the narrow gauge "Denver and Rio Grande" line to Utah. Here +I spent a week amongst the Mormans, who are a remarkably industrious and +energetic, as well as peculiar people. One of the elders introduced me +to a daughter by his tenth wife. I had frequent dips in the Salt Lake, +in company with the Mormans, their wives and families. The water of the +lake is so buoyant that one might throw up one's hands and remain +upright. The body would sink only to the chest. + +The trains were crowded with men belonging to the grand army of the +Republic who were going to San Francisco, where the 20th anniversary of +peace, after the Civil War was to be held. The Americans were all very +friendly to me. I was invited to join them, and as I was much sunburnt +easily passed as one of the veterans. + +I took up my quarters at the Palace Hotel, which occupied about four +acres of ground. I believe it was at that time the largest hotel in the +world. I managed to get a room at four and a-half dollars a day. When I +entered it I could see nothing but "Corfield." There were mirrors all +round excepting where the furniture stood. In the quadrangle, just below +my balcony, a band played continuously. + +'Frisco was _en-fete_. Arches were erected in Market Street, and bunting +was flying everywhere. I spent a week in the city, having for a +companion a young doctor, for whom I had brought a parcel from his +parents in England. He obtained a _locum tenens_, and gave up the time +to pilot me round. We visited every point of interest, including the +Chinese gambling dens, in and around 'Frisco, which has a very +interesting history dating from the time of the Spanish missions. + +On the trip across the Pacific we had a nice complement of passengers. A +day at Honolulu was spent enjoying the beauty spots. We tried to call on +the "King," but as he was enjoying a carousal, he could not receive us. +We called at Apia, in the Samoan Islands, and when crossing to New +Zealand, we noticed that the sea was covered by what appeared to be +pumice stone. On our arrival at Auckland we heard of the eruption of +Mount Tarawera. Mr. Rutherford, a gentleman well-known throughout N.S.W. +and West Queensland, the principal of Cobb and Co. in Australia, was a +passenger with his daughter from 'Frisco. I accompanied them during the +three days the boat remained in Auckland. Shortly after our arrival at +the Star Hotel, Mr. Rutherford, who had picked up a "Queenslander," said +to me, "Who is driving the coach from Muttaburra to Winton?" I said, +"Macpherson." "Well," he said, "he won't drive it long when I get back." +"Why?" I asked. "Well, here is a paragraph in this paper, which says he +capsized the coach in Elderslie Street, opposite your office." + +We duly reached Sydney in August, 1886, and after spending a week there, +I sailed for Rockhampton, and proceeded to Peak Downs Station, which my +brother-in-law, Edmund Casey, was then managing for the Messrs. +Fairbairn. I found he had broken in to harness for me two Arab ponies +which would trot their 12 miles an hour. I trucked these and a buggy I +had purchased in Sydney to Alpha, the then terminus of the Central +railway line, where my other horses--brought from Winton--met me. Good +rains had fallen in July, thus breaking up the long drought which had +commenced three years before. I had plenty of grass and water all the +way to Winton. I camped a night at Mount Cornish, and met Mr. and Mrs. +Edkins for the first time for 20 years, having last met them on the +Flinders River when they were on their honeymoon trip, as I have already +related. They now had quite a large family, and made me very welcome. I +arrived at Winton driving four grey horses, the two Arabs Mr. Casey +broke in for me being splendid leaders. + +A few evenings after my arrival I was the guest at a smoke concert given +by the Dramatic Club in Steele's hall in my honour. Mr. Dodd, +postmaster, the president of the club, was in the chair. There was some +fine speeches, and a splendid display of wit and repartee. On entering +the room, my attention was attracted by the drop-scene on the stage +representing the Catskill Mountains in America. The members had given a +rendering of "Rip Van Winkle," previous to my leaving for England. The +scene was a daub of colours with a hole cut in the sky, to which a piece +of calico had been affixed at the back to represent either the sun or +the moon, I forget which. On returning thanks to the toast of my health, +I related many of my experiences since I left them in 1885, but +apparently I made a hit when I described my sailing up the Hudson River +from New York. Seeing a mountain in the distance, with numerous houses +here and there, the afternoon sun shining and throwing different shades +over mountain and river, I inquired from a fellow passenger if he could +tell me the name of that beautiful mountain? He replied the "Catskill +Mountains." I said, "Are you sure?" "Sure enough," he said. "Why?" +"Well, because I have seen a painting of it in Steele's Hall at Winton, +and it's not a bit like that." The laughter that followed easily made me +feel at home with the company during the remainder of a very pleasant +evening. Dr. Hawthorne made a great hit in his speech in explaining the +anomaly of a bashful Irishman. + +I found many changes had taken place during my seventeen months' +absence. The Schollicks' had left Oondooroo, which had become the +property of Messrs. Ramsay Brothers and Hodgson, with Mr. M. F. Ramsay +as manager. + +Winton also had grown quickly. The _Winton Herald_ newspaper, with Mr. +Maxwell as proprietor, was issued as a weekly. + +Roller skating was the rage. I remember one afternoon when passing the +Court House, I went over to see what was causing a noise there. Looking +through the window I saw all the benches stacked on one side, and the +police magistrate practising on skates. He had a pillow strapped at the +back of his neck, and another on a lower portion of his body for +buffers. He stumbled, and I saw the use for the pillows. + +The growth of grass in 1886 occasioned extensive bush fires in the end +of this and the beginning of the following year. A very large fire +occurred at Vindex. I called for volunteers to join in putting it out. +The call was readily responded to, and I headed a large party composed +of all classes of men to assist the station hands. By our combined +efforts we succeeded in putting the fire out, but not until it had burnt +many miles of country. In those days there was no ill-feeling between +labour and capital, or employers and employee. All united to work for +the common good. Subsequently the same generous help was extended to +Elderslie and Ayrshire Downs Stations. + +In 1887, I can say the residents of Winton were as if all were of one +family. They made their own pleasures, at which all classes were +welcome, and invitations were unnecessary. This proved one of the +happiest times of my life. + +The new owners of Oondooroo were developing their property regardless of +cost. Amongst the many innovations introduced by them, but which now +have become necessaries, was the system of private telephone lines over +the run. In connection with this system was an ingenious idea, something +like a compass card, by means of which bush fires were located, and +which saved a great deal of unnecessary work and riding. With the +exception of Norman, the youngest, who went "west" in France during the +late war, I believe the Ramsays are still in the land of the living. It +is a pity that Queensland is the loser by not having more men of the +same high character as the Ramsay's, of Oondooroo. + +In November, 1887, John Bartholomew, who was travelling manager for Cobb +and Co., asked me--as their Winton agent--to accompany him to Croydon, +to which place he was bound in connection with some coach accident which +had occurred in that district, and I accepted the invitation. We +travelled by coach to Hughenden 150 miles, thence down the Flinders to +Cloncurry, distant 265 miles, and on to Normanton, 240 miles. + +This latter portion was completed under great difficulties, the early +wet season necessitating our working day and night to keep contract +time. On our way we saw where a bullock-dray loaded with explosives had +been blown up. How the explosion happened was never known, but after it +occurred nothing remained of the bullocks; some of the iron work of the +dray was picked up a mile away. + +Before we reached Normanton we were reduced to three horses, and the +rains having been heavier, we were continually digging the coach out of +bogs. At dark one evening I walked on to lessen the load, and on +crossing a plain I saw a log on the side of the road on which I decided +to have a rest. I sat on it in the dark, and feeling something move, I +put my hand down on the cold, clammy tail of a snake. His lordship +evidently had his head in a hole, or might have bitten me. The shock +gave me increased energy, and I reached the groom's change at 10.30 p.m. +The coach arrived an hour later. We were all thoroughly done up, and had +a supper of stewed galahs. The stage-keeper was without flour. + +When we arrived at Normanton we were in a sad plight from our rough +experiences. The next day Bartholomew and myself were the only +passengers on the coach for Croydon. Unusually heavy rain had fallen +during the night, and the road was bad. We reached Creen Creek, half-way +to Croydon, that evening. Here we met the coach from that place on its +way to Normanton. The driver of this coach gave a bad account of the +road ahead. It was decided that Bartholomew and the driver should ride, +and pack the mail on horses to Croydon. Mr. Bartholomew arranged with +the other driver to take me back to Normanton. The coach was full, and I +had to sit on the splash board with my legs hanging over the two mules +which were in the pole. We had not gone far before we got into a bog. +The three horses in the lead were floundering so much that we had to +take them out, but the mules stood quietly up to their bellies in the +soft ground. The passengers were all males and turned to. By levering +the wheels on to the cushions, we got the coach on hard ground again. +This happened so often that I decided to walk on. I came upon a bullock +team loaded with timber, bogged. With it was Fred Shaw, who at one time +was connected with Cobb and Co., and who was taking the timber to +Croydon for building. I offered my help to get the waggon out of the bog +by assisting the driver on the off-side with a whip. We succeeded after +some time, but not without the use of some language. + +In soft ground bullocks will stand up to their middle chewing their cud +whilst a clear passage is being cut through for the wheels, and if once +got to pull together they will invariably get through. Mules are +practically the same, hence Cobb and Co. using them. The moment a horse +loses his footing he commences to plunge about, and so turns the ground +into liquid in which he has no footing. + +The coach camped at a wayside place that night. I walked on in the +morning; the coach overtook me eight miles from Normanton, into which I +rode, and was glad to reach the hotel and comfort once more. + +During the week spent in Normanton waiting the return of Mr. +Bartholomew, and also the arrival of a steamer, I made the acquaintance +of Mr. Forsyth, who was the resident manager for Burns, Philp and Co., +and later on sat in Parliament for many years. + +At Thursday Island there was no jetty, so our steamer anchored out in +the channel. Here Mr. (now Sir Robert) Philp joined us from a tour of +inspection of the company's branches. He had not long before been +returned at a bye-election for Musgrave. When leaving, he and I boarded +the steamer in a boat belonging to the company, with a black crew +dressed in white shirts, which gave them quite a picturesque effect. On +reaching Cairns, Mr. Philp included me in his party to go by rail to +Redlynch, the then terminus of the line. The construction of the line up +the range towards the Barron Falls was then going on, but we were unable +to view the Falls. + +On our trip down, Mr. Philp mentioned that the McIlwraith party would +require a representative for the Gregory in place of the late Mr. Thos. +McWhannell. He hinted to me that probably my name as successor would be +acceptable to Sir Thomas McIlwraith. I replied, "I know nothing of +politics, and have no desire to take them on." + +I remained over Christmas in Townsville, and arrived in Winton to +celebrate the new year of 1888. Election news was the absorbing topic. + +I asked Sir Thomas McIlwraith by telegram who was the party's accredited +candidate, giving certain names which were spoken of. He replied, "Know +nothing about the gentlemen mentioned; why don't you stand yourself?" +Mr. J. B. Riley, of Vindex, happened to be in town. I showed him the +wire, which he took, and went away. + +In the beginning of March, Mr. Riley, accompanied by others, presented +me with a requisition to become the McIlwraith candidate. This was +signed by nearly all the inhabitants of Winton and pastoralists of the +district. When handing it to me, Riley said, "Now, I give you two hours +to consult your partner, and give me your decision." After consultation +with Mr. Campbell, my partner, I assented to the request, and called a +meeting of the electors, which I addressed in the Court House in April, +1888. I then started in my buggy alone to hold meetings at the different +stations. At Elderslie one was held at the woolshed, where I had a bale +of wool as the platform. At Vindex, the meeting was held in the +blacksmith's shop, I standing on the anvil block of wood, and so on. + +Finally, when the nomination day came round, I was the only candidate. +So I was returned unopposed. + +During the Easter holidays in April, 1888, a cricket match, Country _v._ +Town, was held at Vindex Station. At any rate, this was the name under +which invitations were given by the Rileys, Chirnsides, Ramsays and +Bostocks to the townspeople of Winton, as an expression of the goodwill +and friendship which then existed among all classes throughout the +district. + +Vindex was noted for its hospitality at all times, but it now excelled +itself. + +A lot of school-boys could not have enjoyed themselves more than did the +many grey heads among the company. Woe betide any one, host or guest, +who shirked, or did not join in the fun. A visitor from town tried to do +so by fixing a nice quiet camp far away from the hurly burly. His +actions were observed by the postmaster, who put his bull dog in the +visitor's bed, instructing the animal not to allow any one into it. When +the visitor who shirked, tried to retire for the night the bull dog +tackled him, tore his pyjamas off, and left him as a subject for much +raillery. + +One visitor who had arrived from Rockhampton the previous day, was found +wandering in the vicinity of the big dam, where he said he was enjoying +the salt ozone. + +The country won the match easily, but I think they took advantage of the +town. + +This will be understood from the fact that a dozen bottles of whisky, +and a two-gallon jar of the same medicine were brought on the ground for +refreshments. The town went into bat first, and by the time their +innings was finished, so were the refreshments. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + +When returning from the Court House with my L20 deposit after the +nomination, I was way-laid by Sergeant Murray, of the police, who in +oily sentences of congratulation suggested that I should give half of +the money towards the erection of a Roman Catholic church, then about to +be built. I succumbed to his flattery, although my own clergyman was +daily expected, and my name was coupled with Father Plormel, the +resident priest, on a piece of paper, and inserted in a hole in one of +the blocks underneath the building. The church has been enlarged since, +and I heard that the paper with our names, and those of the members of +the committee, was found in a good state of preservation. This Sergeant +Murray was a man of great dry humour and shrewdness. + +One day I was speaking to him, when one of two partners in a racehorse +came up, and told us he and his partner had a dispute; the latter had +the horse in his possession, in Lynett's stable, the door of which was +secured with a padlock and trace chain. Murray asked him, "Why don't ye +lock him up?" + +"Hang it all, the horse is locked up already; what is the good of my +locking him up?" + +"Well, as your partner has the horse locked up you can't get him out, +and if you lock the horse up, then your partner can't get him out." + +"Oh, I see," said the owner, and immediately bought the lock and chain. + +This advice was so novel to us that we all visited the stables and were +amused to see two locks and trace chains to prevent the removal of the +horse by either partner. It proved a common sense way of settling the +dispute in a few hours, and the partners became better friends +afterwards. + +On reaching Brisbane to attend the House, I interviewed Sir Thomas +McIlwraith, who, after congratulating me on my return, said:--"I intend +to put down an artesian bore at Winton." I asked if I might make use of +this. He replied, "Well, it rests on me and my party being returned to +office." + +I felt certain that this would follow, so I wired to Winton that I had +been promised an artesian bore. The town was painted red on the news. + +At the opening of Parliament, Sir Samuel Griffith, seeing 45 members to +his 27, resigned the Premiership, and Sir Thomas McIlwraith was sent for +by Sir Anthony Musgrave. On the House meeting again within a few days, +Mr. Albert Norton was unanimously elected speaker, and Sir Thomas +McIlwraith asked for two months to construct his ministry. This was +granted. + +I returned to Winton, and on arrival was accorded a typical western +reception for obtaining the promise of an artesian bore for the town. At +this stage it was only a promise, but the residents had such faith in +McIlwraith that they accepted it as a fact. Parliament assembled in July +with Sir Thomas McIlwraith as Premier. + +In the early part of the year a bush fire broke out on the road to +Ayrshire Downs, and parties were organised to extinguish it. The police +preceded us, and noticing fires springing up further on, decided to push +ahead to ascertain the cause. They saw a man near the lighted grass with +a box of matches in his hand, and arrested him on suspicion. When +brought before the Police Magistrate, the man was charged under the +English Act against arson. + +Through correspondence with the Attorney-General, it was learnt that the +English Act applied to artificial, and not to natural, grasses. The +offender was discharged with a caution, as the evidence was really only +circumstantial. + +Shortly afterwards he was caught red-handed firing the grass on Warenda +Station, on his way to Boulia. He was brought before the Boulia +justices, who sentenced him to three months' imprisonment under the +"Careless Use of Fire Act." This was the maximum penalty that could be +inflicted. On completion of his term the grass-burner was liberated, and +vowed he would burn the whole of the d----d squatters out. + +The pastoralists hearing of it, put men to watch him through their +respective runs. + +I returned to Brisbane with the intention of defeating his designs. On +interviewing McIlwraith, he advised me to see Mr. Thynne (who was then +Solicitor-General), and explain matters to him, adding:--"Thynne will +draft a clause for you in the 'Injuries to Property Act.' You can bring +in the Bill for the Amendment yourself." I did so, and found I was +saddled with an amendment of an Act of Parliament without any previous +knowledge of procedure. However, through the kindness of Mr. Bernays +(the clerk of Parliament), I was instructed in this, and successfully +carried through the second reading of the amendment to the Act. + +Under this a man found burning natural grass may be prosecuted under the +"English Act against Arson," which meant a maximum of 14 years' +imprisonment. + +In committee, Sir Samuel Griffith suggested I should insert a clause +whereby it could be tried at a District Court, and so prevent witnesses +having to attend a Supreme Court, held on the coast. The Bill, with this +addition, went through committee. I was informed by Mr. Archer, M.L.A. +for Rockhampton, that this was the first occasion in Queensland for a +member to navigate a Bill through the House in his first Parliamentary +year. + +I thought I had completed my work with the Bill, but was surprised when +Mr. Bernays asked me whom I had selected to take it through the Council. +I asked the Hon. William Aplin to pilot it through, and the amendment to +the "Injuries to Property Act" was assented to on the 23rd of October, +1888. + +On the second evening after my arrival I sauntered in the Botanic +Gardens to kill the time to dinner at 7 p.m. Being a stranger, I was +ignorant that the Gardens were closed at 6 p.m. I noticed that the few +people I had seen on entering had entirely disappeared. As the dinner +hour approached, I went to the gate and found it locked, as were the +other gates I tried to pass through. Continuing my walk, I found an +opening in the hawthorne hedge, which separated the Gardens from the +Domain, in which Government House was then situated. I crawled through, +and when I reached the lodge gates, I was asked by a policeman stationed +there, if I had been to Government House? + +I said, "No." + +"Then where did you come from, my friend?" + +"From the Gardens." + +"And how did you get here?" + +I then explained the circumstances. + +"Where do you belong?" + +"Winton." + +"What's your name?" + +"Corfield." + +"Yes, is that so? What are you?" + +"I am one of the new members of Parliament." Then the blarney came out. + +"Pass on, Mr. Corfield, your face would carry you anywhere, sir." + +And so ended the incident. + +In 1888, L50,000 was put on the Estimates for sinking artesian wells, +and a contract entered into with a Canadian company to sink 7,500 feet +at certain specified places. Wellshot Station was selected as one, to +encourage private enterprise, to try for water at great depths. + +When at Winton, early in 1889, I was handed a telegram from Mr. +Henderson, the Hydraulic Engineer, advising me that the sinking of the +well at Wellshot had to be abandoned, and as carriers were not +procurable at Barcaldine to take the plant to Winton, it had been +decided to send it to Kensington Downs. + +I immediately called a public meeting, and laid the matter before it. +The meeting decided that I should go to Barcaldine the following +morning. Owing to accidents to the coach, and want of sobriety at +several of the coach stages, we were very much behind time in arrival. I +found that I could obtain carriers to take the plant to Winton at a +reasonable price, and wired the Engineer, but, although I remained a +week in Barcaldine, I did not get even an unsatisfactory reply from that +officer. + +I now received a hint that there were influences at work to prevent the +plant going to Winton, and to send telegrams through another place. I +arranged a long explanatory wire to Sir Thomas McIlwraith, to be sent +from . . . . the operator at that place cutting off Barcaldine while the +message was being sent, and the following day I was authorised by the +engineer to arrange with carriers for the transport of the plant to +Winton. + +It was very pleasant to witness the chagrin of the local people when +they learnt how their engineering was defeated. + +I learnt now that some Brisbane ladies did not possess politeness, as +one of them sat on my hat when it was on my head, and did not apologise. +It happened in this way. In those days the Brisbane trams were drawn by +horses. I wished to go to Ascot. When near the Custom House I saw a +two-decker car just leaving. A lady was mounting the steps to gain a +seat on the top. I ran and caught the car, following the lady up the +steps. At the turn of the road the driver gave the horses the whip, they +jumped forward, the sudden jerk caused the lady to lose her balance and +her grip of the hand-rail. She sat on the hat on my head. The article, a +hard felt, was pressed down with her weight. The sides opened up, and +the rim fell down and became fast over my nose. I saw stars, but not the +lady's face. The conductor assisted to dislodge the hat from my nose, +and I left the car to purchase a new hat. Probably, I saved the lady's +life, but she continued her way to the top, apparently treating the +accident as an every-day occurrence. I was unable to make a claim for +damages to my hat or self respect. + +Mr. Tozer (the then Home Secretary), was a lover of deep-sea fishing, +and I frequently accompanied him in his excursions. One Friday, when the +House was not sitting, I accepted an invitation to join him in a trip to +a new fishing ground. I joined the "Otter" at the Queen's Wharf at 2 +p.m. Our party comprised Captains Pennefather and Grier, John Watson, +M.L.A., and Messrs. W. H. Ryder, A. A. McDiarmid, Primrose and myself, +besides the officers and crew. We cruised along Moreton Island and +caught sufficient fish for our tea, after which we retired to our bunks, +and the steamer made for the Tweed Heads. About 3 a.m., we were awakened +by the cry of "Fish Oh!" On reaching the deck we found the officers and +crew hauling in schnapper as fast as they could bait their hooks. We +were all soon engaged in the same sport. Each line had four hooks on, +and the fish were so plentiful that often when a line was pulled up +with, as one thought, one big fish on it, there would be three or four, +some hooked through the eye, others by the tail. We fished until 8 a.m., +and found on counting we had 1,100 fish aboard. Tozer had caught the +highest single catch of 155, whilst mine, the smallest number, was 79. +The sailors cleaned as many as they could on our return. When opposite +the South Passage we sent a boat to the Lighthouse to wire Brisbane for +any person wanting fish to meet the boat at the wharf, and to bring bags +with them. Many did so, but all could not be taken away, and a quantity +was dumped into the river. This was the record catch of the season, and +I have never heard of it being beaten. + +At this time, and for a few years afterwards, I had as partner in a +small pastoral property, a Mr. Wm. Booth. He was said to have been mixed +up with some troubles connected with Irish affairs, and that the name he +went under was assumed. Whether this was so or not, I found him to be a +fine, straight-forward man, and was greatly affected when in 1894 his +charred remains were found on the run. The mystery of his death remains +undiscovered. On his death I wound up the pastoral partnership, and +placed the value of Booth's interest in the hands of the Curator of +Intestate Estates. Every effort was made to discover his relatives, but +so far, I believe, his estate remains unclaimed. + +To those interested in constitutional law, the Kitt's case, which +occurred in 1888, may prove interesting. This incident happened in +connection with a pair of boots, but from it was obtained the decision +that the Governor should follow the advice of his ministers on matters +not affecting the authority of the Crown. It was laid down that they +were responsible for giving the advice, not he for accepting it. The +incident was a small matter to define a very important point. + +I think it was about this time that the police were called upon to act +in opposition to the Naval Forces of the State, under the following +circumstances. The Naval Commandant of the time had a disagreement with +the Minister administering the Navy, and ordered the two war vessels, +the "Paluma" and "Gayundah" to put to sea, contending he was under the +control of the Admiral in charge of the station, and defied the +Minister. Steam was up on the vessels, when a rather large body of +police, fully armed, was marched down to the Botanic Gardens, and lined +the river banks ready to fire on the ships if they were moved. +Meanwhile, the wires were at work. The Admiral disclaimed control over +the vessels, as it was a time of peace, and the Commandant retreated +from the stand he had taken. The matter quietened down, but the +Commandant shortly afterwards retired from the service of the State. + +Mr. W. Little, more popularly known on northern goldfields as Billy +Little, represented the electorate of Woothakata in the Assembly. When +speaking on the railway which it had been decided should start from +Cairns to Herberton, he argued, "S'help me G----, Mr. Speaker, they are +building a railway at Cairns over a mountain, down which a crow couldn't +fly without putting breeching on." The simile convulsed the House, but +did not affect its decision. + +During this session I could not but admire the patience and courtesy +with which Sir Samuel Griffith treated all, even his opponents, after he +once expressed himself on a measure. Time and again he would point out +defects, which his legal mind detected in the wording of Bills, but +which were not perceptible to the ordinary lay mind. + +In 1889, when the Estimates were being formed, Sir Thomas McIlwraith +insisted that L40,000 should be put on for building a Central Railway +Station in Ann Street, Brisbane. His colleagues dissented, holding the +view that the then existing station would serve for a generation, or +longer. McIlwraith resigned the premiership, but retained the office of +Vice-President of the Executive Council. + +Mr. B. D. Morehead succeeded him as Premier, but there were no other +changes in the personnel of the Cabinet. + +During the recess of 1890, I left Winton in March, after a good, wet +season, to make a tour of my electorate, visiting the townships and +stations throughout the district, and going close to Lake Nash, over the +border of the Northern Territory. + +I held meetings at the places visited, covering a distance of 1,600 +miles, yet I was unable to visit the whole district. + +At Glenormiston, one of the stations visited, the blacks had just +returned from the Mulligan River, where they had procured their season's +supply of "Pituri." This is obtained from a small bush, and when +prepared for chewing, has an effect similar to opium. The "pituri" is +much prized by the blacks. It is prepared for use by the seeds being +pounded up and mixed with gidya ashes, which the gins chew until it +obtains the proper consistency. It then resembles putty, and when not +being used as chewing gum is carried by the blacks round their ears. If +the native offers one a chew it is a sign of friendship and hospitality. +This friendship was offered me, but declined with thanks. I obtained a +small bagful of the seeds, intending to give them to Mr. Bailey, Curator +of the Brisbane Gardens, but I made other use of it. I was compelled to +make easy stages on account of the heavy pulling. The season was +bitterly cold; camping on the open downs with no shelter was not +pleasant. + +The distance from Boulia to Springvale is 80 miles, the only traffic +along it being the pack horse of the mailman once a week. One of the +places I camped at was known as Elizabeth Springs. This spring is a +circular hole of about three feet in diameter, in which warm water is +continually bubbling up. The overflow runs into Spring Creek, and runs +for 15 miles, emptying into a large hole opposite the head station. A +peculiarity of this spring is, if one jumps into it, the force of the +water causes the body to rebound like a rubber ball, and small particles +of sand coming up with the water causes a stinging sensation. The depth +of the spring is unknown. + +About 40 yards from this spring there is another hole, the water of +which is quite cold, and of an inky colour. This hole has attributes +opposite to the other, that is--a body will sink quickly in its water. +The blacks have a tradition that a gin jumped into it, and was never +seen again. These springs are on Springvale run. + +On arriving at the station, I found Mr. Milson was out mustering, but +Mrs. Milson, who remembered me at Monkira some six years before, made me +very comfortable. I left the following morning to cover the 37 miles to +Diamantina Lakes Station. When I reached the Gum Holes, on the boundary +of the two runs, I decided to camp. Mr. Milson turned up here, and from +him I learnt that the Diamantina River, which was about seven miles +ahead of me, was uncrossable, and that it was running about four miles +wide. He instructed me that when I reach the river, I was to go to a +high ridge two miles back, and make a large bonfire at night. I arrived +at the river the following day, when my man and I employed ourselves the +whole afternoon in getting wood, which was scarce and some distance +away. The closer timber had been used by the mailman to attract the +attention of the station people in flood time, as we were to do. + +The station was about eight miles from the ridge, and we had great +trouble during the night to keep the fire burning. The next afternoon +Mr. Shaw, the manager, came across in a canvas boat, and camped the +night with us. It was arranged I should return with him in the boat and +leave the man with the horses, as it was impossible to cross them. We +were out of meat, so Mr. Shaw promised to send some to the man the +following day. We started on our four-mile pull, Shaw with the sculls, +and I in the stern to steer the canoe. In the shallow water between the +channels we had to be very careful, as patches of lignum were showing +above the water, and our boat being only canvas, a slight prick of the +lignum would perforate it. However, we made the crossing safely, and +arrived at the station at sun-down. I was very glad to get comfortable +quarters once more, and Mr. and Mrs. Shaw and their family treated me +right royally. + +After a stay of five days we found the water had gone down and left +several islands visible between the channels. When the flood allowed we +started, taking a long, strong piece of rope, provisions, and about ten +black fellows. Shaw and I paddled the boat containing the rope and +provisions. The black boys swam the channels, and carried the boat +across the islands, where we walked. We arrived at my camp in the +afternoon, and prepared for an early start on the morrow. Whilst I was +away a mob of travelling cattle had come to the camp. The men had killed +a beast, and were making a boat of the hide to carry their saddles and +provisions across. The mosquitoes that night were something to be +remembered, and my man looked as if he had measles. + +We had a good breakfast at daylight, and then commenced crossing in the +following manner:--Some of the boys would wade into the water until it +was up to their waist. I would then drive the buggy and four horses up +to them, unharness the latter, putting the harness in the boat to be +rowed to dry land. The boat would then return for the provisions and +every movable article in the buggy. The horses were then swam over, +after which the rope was attached to the axle of the buggy and run along +the pole, a half-hitch being tied at the point. When all were across, +and the rope brought over by the boat, all hands would pull the buggy +across. It would, of course, soon disappear beneath the water, and at +each disappearance I wondered if I should see it again. Had the pole +caught in a stump, the probability was that it or the rope would break. +However, we got it safely across the channels, which varied in depth up +to 25 feet of water. It was quite dark when we reached the station, all +tired out. The black boys behaved splendidly, so I gave them the +"pituri" intended for Mr. Bailey. This gift they prized far more than +money or tobacco. The next evening I held a meeting at the station, and +resumed my journey up the river the day following. Travelling was now +easy, the road being good, with plenty of grass and water for my horses. +Meeting one's constituents in a western electorate is not a short, +pleasant picnic. + +A rather serious crisis arose during the early part of this session +(1890). McIlwraith introduced a measure to levy a tax on all wool +exported over the border to New South Wales and South Australia. + +The intention of the bill was to divert the trade of southern and +south-western Queensland to the Queensland Railways. The pastoralists of +those districts obtained supplies, and sent their wool from and to the +southern Colonies, where the rates were lower than those charged over +the Queensland lines. + +McIlwraith's argument was that Queensland was heavily taxed for the +construction and maintenance of these lines; that this Colony was also +incurring excessive expenditure for administrative purposes, and if the +pastoralists would not give Queensland the necessary revenue towards +these services, it should be forced from them. + +The bill provoked heated arguments from McIlwraith's supporters. The +Opposition looked on with some interest, anticipating a Government +defeat. The bill passed its second reading by the casting vote of the +Speaker. I voted with the Government. McIlwraith promptly tendered his +resignation, but was induced by Sir Henry Norman, the then Governor, to +reconsider this. McIlwraith said he would reintroduce the bill in +committee, and make the recalcitrant members swallow it. He did +reintroduce it, those previously against it voted for it, and it was +carried by a majority. Those members who were compelled to stultify +themselves did not forgive the Premier, and showed their resentment when +the opportunity arose. + +The money collected by the tax was utilised in improving the main roads +to the railway, and when I was in that district some years afterwards I +saw these cleared two chains wide through the affected districts. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + +In 1889, the Morehead Government had put on the Estimates L1,000,000 for +unspecified railways. This the Opposition, led by Sir Samuel Griffith, +strongly opposed. The sitting developed into a stonewall of 96 hours' +duration. The Government withdrew the item at 10 p.m. on a Saturday +night. Previous to its introduction, I had paired for the session with +an Opposition member, as I was anxious to return home to review my +business operations, and did not suspect any party measures. + +At the opening of the 1890 session, I caught a very severe cold in +Brisbane, which developed into "La Grippe," and I was confined to my +room for seven weeks. During this time the Morehead Government +introduced a "Property Tax," which met with strong opposition from +McIlwraith--who was still in the Cabinet--and his supporters, of which I +was one. Morehead carried his proposals by two. He felt that this +majority did not justify his continuing in office, so he retired. The +coalition between Griffith and McIlwraith followed. Both knights offered +me a position in the Cabinet as Honorary Minister, but as I was to be +considered as a Central member, I declined the honour. The House +adjourned for two months. I decided to visit my electorate to inform my +constituents of the position, and at a meeting in Winton they endorsed +my action. I returned to Brisbane overland by coach, _via_ Barcaldine, +thence rail to Jericho, and by coach to Blackall, Tambo, Augathella and +Charleville, and on to Brisbane by rail. This route was in consequence +of the maritime strike, through which all steamers were laid up. + +[Illustration: SIR SAMUEL WALKER GRIFFITH] + +At the close of the 1890 session, I made a trip to Melbourne, and made +the acquaintance of a gentleman who persuaded me to join him in a trip +to New Zealand. We called at Hobart _en route_, and landed at the Bluff, +proceeding to Invercargill by rail. By this trip I renewed the +acquaintance of bygone years with many old friends from North +Queensland, who had become residents of New Zealand. + +Before leaving the Dominion there were rumours of an intended strike of +shearers in Queensland. When I reached Sydney I found this had +eventuated, and as the House was in recess, I proposed visiting my +electorate, but was prevented doing so because of the heavy floods +stopping all traffic. + +During the Parliamentary session of 1891, there were many stormy scenes +and debates in connection with the shearers' strike, which took place +throughout the pastoral districts of Queensland and New South Wales. The +causes for the strike and incidents are of public history. It is, +therefore, not necessary for me to do more than to mention it. + +After the coalition was formed, Sir Thomas McIlwraith announced his +policy of a ten years' extension of the "Polynesian Act." + +Sir Samuel Griffith, as Premier, foreshadowed this would be brought +forward in the session of 1892. I was returned as an opponent of black +labour, and thought it necessary to justify my support of the new +policy. To do so I obtained a letter of introduction to Mr. Neame, the +owner of Macknade, on the Herbert River. I had some practical experience +of what it was to work among cane, but did not give any hint of what +action I was going to take in the House. Eventually, I informed my +constituents of my change of views, and put myself in their hands. From +them I received a free hand to act on my own judgment. I voted for the +extension, and the House passed the bill. + +1893 was the year of the great bank smash when so many institutions went +under, and eventually had to undergo reconstruction. In this difficult +time, Sir Hugh Nelson as Treasurer showed himself as an able and capable +financier. He received help and sympathy from the banks which weathered +the storm, but from none more than the General Manager of the +institution which held considerable Government moneys. + +Retrenchment was the order of the day. Members salaries were reduced to +L150 per annum. Lively and acrimonious discussions continued during the +session, but Sir Hugh Nelson was firm in his resolutions to restore +confidence, and backed up by the majority of the members, he soon +allayed the panic. + +A general election took place in this year, and I was again a candidate. +On arriving at Boulia, where I addressed a meeting, I learnt that Mr. +Wallace Nelson had been nominated by the Labour Party to oppose me, but +when I reached Winton after completion of the tour, I found that I had +been returned unopposed, Mr. Nelson's nomination paper being informal. +At the opening of the session I was twitted by Labour members of having +obtained the seat by an informality. + +In those days I was not altogether a hardened politician, and felt +somewhat sensitive on the charge. I returned to Winton, called a meeting +to consider whether I should resign and contest another election, or +retain my position. The meeting, which was a large one and +representative, decided that I should retain the seat. I must say that +after taking this course, my opponents made but little allusion to the +way in which I had been elected, and then only in a joking, friendly +manner. The Government of which Sir Hugh Nelson was now Acting +Premier--McIlwraith having gone on a health tour--submitted its railway +proposals to a private meeting of its supporters. Very much to my +dissatisfaction I found that the Hughenden-Winton line was not +included. + +I will explain here that during the previous session I was invited by +Sir Thomas McIlwraith to call at his office. He then explained to me +what was in his mind in regard to railways in the west. This was an +extension north-westerly from Charleville towards Barcaldine; from +Longreach and Hughenden to Winton; from Hughenden to Cloncurry; from +Winton to Boulia _via_ Llanrheidol; and from Winton in a north-westerly +direction towards Cloncurry and the Gulf, keeping to the higher country, +but as low down the rivers flowing into the latter as would be safe. The +mineral country which caused the present line to run in a south-westerly +direction from Cloncurry was then unknown. + +The terminus on the Gulf was to be on its western side, if possible in +Queensland territory, but if necessary he might negotiate with South +Australia for a port in the Northern Territory, from which, if +advisable, that Colony might join up with Port Darwin. Such a scheme, +Sir Thomas said, would bring the three principal ports, Brisbane, +Rockhampton and Townsville, in touch with their western back country, +which would also have its choice of ports. Queensland would become +connected through its Gulf outlet with the Eastern countries; have a +more direct route to Europe, and be practically independent of Sydney +and Melbourne. He added that whether the scheme would eventuate or not, +it was his intention to have a line from Hughenden to Winton, so as to +bring the district within reach of its natural port--Townsville, instead +of being forced to Rockhampton. He presumed he could count on my +support, which I promised. I submitted the information as being strictly +confidential to Fraser, of Manuka, who, as chairman of my supporting +committee, would at his discretion disclose the matter to such as he +might consider reliable. When I saw Nelson after the meeting, he +disclaimed all knowledge of McIlwraith's promise as regards the Winton +line, and looking at a map from Townsville out, said the line would be +nothing but a "dog-leg business." I explained to him that, acting on +the information given by McIlwraith, and with his knowledge, I had told +my committee, who had built their hopes upon his promise, and informed +Nelson I felt so strongly on the point, that as I could not personally +oppose the Government policy on any other matters, I would resign my +seat. I explained the position to Fraser, who consulted my supporting +committee. It was decided that as the promise given to me by McIlwraith, +who was still Premier, as regards the Hughenden-Winton line was not +kept, and as they could not ask me to sit opposed to the Government, +they considered there was nothing for me but to retire from the House +altogether. I submitted the letter to Nelson, who then laughed, and said +he had gone into the whole question, and found that McIlwraith had +pledged himself. It appeared that Byrnes was in his confidence, and +"looking at it again," Nelson said, "it is a good policy in western +interests, but what a howl there will be in Rockhampton." Finally, when +the railway policy was made public, it was found that the first section +of a line towards Winton was proposed. + +I do not think that any railway proposal received such a searching +criticism from its opponents. It was very amusing to see an immense map +of Queensland hung in the chamber, and one of the Central members with a +long pointer showing the boundaries of the several districts, and how +Rockhampton rights would be encroached upon. However, in spite of all, +the line eventually reached Winton, but that was the only part of +McIlwraith's scheme which became finalised, which I think is a matter to +be regretted. + +In later years a scheme was adopted which put Sydney as near to the Gulf +Territory of Queensland as Brisbane, and which, if carried out, will +make the first-mentioned the Port of Western Queensland. The +construction of the lines under Denham's and Kidston's schemes, is, +however, making such slow progress that there is a hopeful probability +that they will never be completed. + +The Parliamentary session of 1894 was, I think, the most exciting in +happenings and bitter in feelings than any I experienced during my time +in the House. This state of affairs arose out of the shearers' strike, +which existed in the Mitchell, Gregory and Flinders districts. So +serious was the position of affairs in those districts that the Ministry +felt it was absolutely necessary to introduce such exceptional +legislation as would give far-reaching powers to the Government and its +officers for the preservation of peace. Considerable damage had happened +to the property of pastoralists in those districts by fire. In one or +two places firearms were used. + +When Nelson asked for the formal leave to introduce the bill, Mr. +Glassey, who was leader of the Labour Party, bitterly opposed the +request. The time and circumstances were very serious, but it was highly +amusing to see the expression of surprise which came over Nelson's face +as he questioned the sincerity of any man who opposed the introduction +of a Bill for the Preservation of Peace. The scope of the bill was +generally known to members, and the Opposition by Glassey at this stage, +and the surprise by Nelson were the usual Parliamentary camouflage. + +During the passage of the bill through the Assembly, both in the House +and Committee, it was very difficult to control the members on either +side. There were many suspensions of members on the Labour side, who +were, of course, out to oppose the measure. The stormy passage of this +bill, which, when it became law, did Preserve Peace, may be read in +_Hansard_ of the time. + +The Government in 1895 organised a Parliamentary tour of North +Queensland to enable many members to see for the first time that country +for which they assumed they were competent to legislate. The tour was +very successfully carried out, and those who were strangers to the +North, realised that they knew only a small corner of Queensland, which, +compared with what they were visiting, was of comparatively less value. +Amongst the 37 requests made to Mr. Tozer (who was Home Secretary) at +Cooktown, was one to erect a statue to Captain Cook. It was pointed out +a monument had been erected to him, but owing to low finances the scheme +was uncompleted. It was thought Captain Cook deserved a monument at +Cooktown; but Mr. Tozer, in reply, stated that he realised that Cooktown +deserved some recognition of the historical fact that Captain Cook's +only lengthy stay in Australia was in the locality, but, he explained, +"The position is this: down in Brisbane we have deputations of +unemployed asking us for bread; now I have come up here, and you have +asked me for a stone." This reply settled the question. + +Returning to Townsville and Bowen, the party visited Cid Harbour, in +Whitsunday Passage. At this place there was a camp of timber-getters. +There were two families of women and children who had not tasted meat +since Christmas. It was now April. Two sheep were given from the ship, +and in return we borrowed their fishing net, with which we caught a +beautiful lot of parrot fish. Weighing anchor at mid-day, Captain South +took us through the Molle passage, where, sounding the whistle, one +could hear the echo reverberating amongst the islands for some minutes +afterwards. It is considered that although Cid Harbour has not the +extent of Sydney Harbour, it is quite its equal in beauty. + +During the session, the plans and specifications of a line of railway +from Hughenden towards Winton were laid on the table of the House. This +gave rise to a bitter discussion dealing with interests of Rockhampton +and Townsville, which were in conflict. Those of the western country and +residents were not considered. Nelson consented to the request of Mr. +Archer, member for Rockhampton, for a select committee, to take evidence +as to the desirableness of constructing the line. The Central members on +the committee were Mr. Archer, chairman; Messrs. Murray and Callan, +MM.L.A. This committee was the first to take evidence on a railway +proposed in the Assembly, and formed a precedent afterwards availed of. +The committee sat for a week, and in the evidence adduced the majority +report to the House was in favour of the line. + +The Central members, who sent in a minority report, stated that the +Winton district belonged to Rockhampton, and asserted that the settled +policy of the country was that the lines should be extended due west +from the coastal ports. They were apparently oblivious to the fact that +the coast line north from Brisbane trended in a north-westerly +direction, and owing to this trend Winton was 185 miles nearer +Townsville than Rockhampton. The Minister for Railways accepted the +majority report, proposed the building of this section, and then +followed an acrimonious debate, which resulted in an all-night sitting. +I acted as Whip during the night, and allowed my supporters to camp in +the Legislative Council Chambers, whence as they were required for a +division, I brought them in, to the amazement of our opponents, who +thought they had left and gone home. + +The proposal was carried at 7.30 the following morning. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + +At the end of this year I returned to Winton to prepare for the +elections to be held in May, 1896. I addressed a meeting at that town, +and received a vote of confidence. I commenced a tour of the district. +The season was very dry, and I had to send feed for my horses by Cobb's +coach to Boulia. I went over some of the same ground as in 1890, and +when travelling between Boulia and Springvale I saw the tracks made by +my buggy in the wet of that year. This shows the scarcity of travellers +in that country. At the election I was in a minority by three votes in +Winton, but the outside places returned me with a substantial majority. +Labour gained a few more seats at this election, and the verbosity one +had to listen to made an M.L.A.'s life, like a policeman's, not a happy +one. + +Towards the end of the session the Minister for Railways laid the plans +and specifications of another section of the Hughenden to Winton railway +on the table of the House. Messrs. Kidston and Curtis, MM.L.A., led the +Central members in strong opposition to the proposal, but after a short +debate it was carried. This section when completed brought the line from +Watten to Manuka, or, as the station is now called, "Corfield." + +The second sections of the railway from Hughenden to Winton were +constructed by the late Mr. G. C. Willcocks, and in a record time. He +had to carry ballast and water along the whole construction of 132 miles +from the Flinders River at Hughenden. His system was to plough and scoop +the bed for the permanent way. This being done, a temporary line was +laid down alongside, upon which trucks were run to carry on the advance +work, leaving permanent work to follow up. As a consequence he was two +months ahead of his time, and the line being available to carry traffic +on the unopened portion, the Government decided to give him a bonus to +hand the line over. Compared with present-day railway construction, as +regards expense in time and in money, the Winton line is a monument to +Mr. Willcock's ability and energy as a contractor, and to the relative +merits of contract and day labour. + +In 1896, Sir Hugh Nelson had been appointed President of the Legislative +Council, and appeared in his Windsor uniform at the opening of +Parliament this year. Mr. W. H. Brown, the leader of the Labour Party, +who was sitting next to me in the Council Chamber, in a whisper loud +enough to be heard around, remarked:--"I am just thinking how many +ounces to the dish Sir Hugh Nelson would pan out if he were boiled +down." Sir Hugh gave dignity to his new position, which was the reward +of years of distinguished loyal and successful service to Queensland. + +The Hon. T. J. Byrnes was now appointed to succeed Sir Hugh Nelson as +Premier, and shortly afterwards visited England. Mr. Byrnes' career and +successes were well known in that country, and these, aided by a frank, +charming manner, made his tour one of triumph. It was a blow to +Queensland that he did not long survive his return to the State. +Although Byrnes was not in Parliament when Macrossan was alive, yet +those who remembered the latter could not help comparing the two men. I +do not recollect having seen Macrossan smile even after a successful +speech. On the other hand, beyond a passing frown scarcely perceptible, +even in the bitterness of debate, I have not seen Byrnes otherwise than +smiling, but when one sat close to either and saw their eyes flashing +fire, one could realise the strength and sincerity of both. + +It is possible that had Byrnes lived to take the field against +Federation, as it was thought he would, Queensland might not have +become one of the States, except under certain saving conditions. I was +present at the funeral ceremony in St. Stephen's Cathedral, and saw many +hardened politicians brushing tears off. It was felt that a great man +and a good man had passed away. + +Mr. W. H. Browne, more familiarly known as "Billy" Browne, was a lovable +character. Firm in his belief that his principles were right and should +be maintained, but without being bitter to those who might differ from +him. His death was no doubt a temporary loss to the Labour Party, of +which Queensland could easily spare others more bigoted, but less +sincere. + +Sir Samuel Griffith, after giving the best years of his life to +Queensland, had now retired to the Supreme Court Bench, and his absence +was a loss to Parliament. + +Most members judged Griffith as being cold and distant, but personally, +I have much to thank him for. I found him kind and sociable when +approached, and at no time did he assume a patronising manner when doing +a favour. Those who knew him intimately told me they found him to be the +same. Looking at him from the opposite side, he seemed to be always on +the alert to find his opponent tripping. I have known him, when he did +so, to generously aid in putting them right, and apparently because he +felt it to be his duty to do so. He was different to his great opponent +McIlwraith, both in character and mental construction. McIlwraith was by +nature impatient and irritable. Griffith, on the contrary, was very +patient, and maintained a great control of his temper. This enabled him +to frequently have his views adopted when they might not be, if too +strongly forced. Had advantage been taken of opportunities, Griffith +might have been a wealthy man. But to his honour, and to that of +Queensland Parliaments, from the first even to the present, this State +has been singularly free from what has been brought to light in other +States. + +The artesian bore at Winton was now completed by the Intercolonial Deep +Boring Company. The bore has a depth of 4,010 feet, and a flow of +720,000 gallons of water per day, the temperature being 182 degs. +Fahrenheit. It had many vicissitudes during its eight years' sinking. +Two other companies went into liquidation in carrying out the work. + +In 1898, I induced the Government to grant a loan of L2,500 to +reticulate the town with water from the bore. As far as I can remember +this session was uneventful in a political sense. + +The bad health of my partner, Mr. Campbell, made it necessary that I +should return to active business. I informed my constituents that at the +end of this session, which would be the last of that Parliament, I +intended to retire from politics. + +Following Mr. Campbell's death, Mr. T. J. O'Rourke became my partner, +and is so still. + +I feel it would be out of place to express my personal opinion of Mr. +O'Rourke. It is enough to say that he who can stand up against the +criticisms, and hold the goodwill of western men of all sorts and +conditions, needs no expression of opinion or feeling from me. + +Although the Bush Brotherhood was founded by the Church of England at a +period later than that at which I decided should end these +reminiscences, it may not be out of place to allude to the good work of +the Brethren, and the success of their endeavours to promote the +spiritual and oftentimes the material welfare of the west. The members +lived a life of hardship and self-abnegation, which was appreciated by +people of all and of no religious beliefs. + +One of its most notable members was the Reverend Hulton-Sams--known as +the Fighting Parson--and who was the winner of many friendly fights. He +travelled the west visiting stations and shearing sheds with his Bible +and prayer-book on one handle of his bike, and a set of boxing gloves on +the other, and after preaching an impressive extempore sermon, +concluding the service, would invariably say, "Now, boys, we will have a +little recreation!" and invite his hearers to put on the gloves. He was +not always the winner, however. His manly virtues, the sincerity of his +life, and the beauty of his character, made him one of the best loved +amongst western men. On his return to England, after the war broke out, +he enlisted, and received a commission as a Lieutenant in the "Duke of +Cornwall's Light Infantry." He went with his regiment to France, and was +instantaneously killed by a shell when seeking water for his wounded +comrades. He died, as he lived, a Christian hero, and nothing better can +be said of any man. + +The following account of his death, received by his sister, Lady +Wiseman, was published in the London _Evening News_:-- + +The Adjutant of a battalion of the D.C.L.I., said:--"He died a glorious +death--that of a British officer and gentleman, commanding a company in +an important position, and sticking it where many others might have +failed. We were hanging on to the edge of a wood, and the Germans were +trying to shell us out of it. That night the Germans attacked us +again--bombs and liquid fire. C. Company stuck to it, and through all +the terrific shelling they never flinched, although they lost heavily. + +"They were there at 10 a.m., and I crawled to and talked to your brother +several times. He was magnificent and very cheerful. His last words to +me were, 'Well, old boy, this is a bit thick, but we'll see it through, +never fear.' His company sergeant-major told me that at about 10 a.m. +your brother crawled away to see if he could get any water for the men, +many of whom were wounded and very thirsty. + +"He was hit by a piece of shell in the thigh and side, and killed +instantly. He died doing a thing which makes us feel proud to have +known him. He was a fine officer, a fine friend, and was worshipped by +his men." + +I was but one of a large number of members who, during 1888, entered the +House for the first time. To one who had not had the inclination, even +if one had the time, previous to this, for politics, everything in and +around the House was novel and interesting, but it was difficult to +understand why members should in the Chamber be so bitterly hostile to +each other and yet as friendly outside. There were, of course, +exceptions as regards the latter, but I soon learned that a good deal of +what was being said and done was more or less theatrical. Sincerity was +to a great extent at a discount, and later years of experience in +politics confirmed my impressions that the whole was a game to induce +the people to think that their friend was Codlin, and not Short. And the +farce is continued to the present time, only more so, and with the same +success. + +It seems to me that the end of my Parliamentary life might be the end of +my reminiscences. The opening of railway communication with Winton +brought new conditions into our lives. The days of pioneering, +bullock-driving, the trips by Cobb and Co., which were not always trips +of comfort or of pleasure, were things of the past. In place of the +crack of the whip and the rumble of the coach were heard the whistle and +snorting of the engine. We were now within civilisation, so far as +convenience might go, but whether we were morally and socially better or +worse is a very open question. The great distances, the open plains, and +the loneliness and monotony which is generally characteristic of the +western country, even in these days of comparative closer settlement, +have formed the western character. It is a character hard, shrewd, and +impatient in good times, but strangely patient and resourceful in times +of floods, drought, or difficulty. Invariably maintaining a certain +reserve, yet hospitable and generous towards strangers, and ready to +give help without question where needed, the western-born man and woman +carries a dignity and presence easily recognised, and a friend who +visited the west after many years, remarks:--"I say, you have a grand +stamp of man and woman growing up in the west, but you are not giving +them encouragement to live in and develop their country as you should +do." + +The man of the west deserves much praise, but what might be said of its +women. I have seen these following the waggon, or living in domiciles +which, even at best, would be a shame to cities. Yet very rarely +otherwise than patient, cheerful and hospitable, loving help-mates and +mothers. "God bless them," I say. + +I cannot help thinking that politics are the bane of the west. It is +singularly free from religious rancour or animosity. The religious +belief of the other man, or if he has any at all, concerns no one. So +long as a clergyman does not hold that playing cricket or football on +Sunday is wrong, even if he is not popular, he is at all times +respected. + +I remember a Roman Catholic priest (Father Fagan) speaking at a dinner +of welcome, remark:--"A brother minister had asked him what good these +social gatherings did?" He replied:--"They did a great deal of good, and +he went so far as to say that one such gathering was worth twenty +sermons. They were simply putting in practice the virtues preached from +the pulpit of hospitality, charity and gratitude." + +It is my sincere hope that such kindliness and charity might continue to +the end of time. + + + "FAREWELL." + + + + +WATER DIVINING: + +A POSTSCRIPT. + + +"There are more things in Heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our +philosophy." Thus wrote Shakespeare, and as the centuries roll by, and +the marvels of invention and scientific research are unfolded, this +truth of the immortal bard becomes the more and more evident to thinking +people of all nations. + +The faculty or attributes of water divining--that is, ability to locate +water running in natural channels beneath the surface--is one which of +late years has received great attention in Queensland. + +In this material and matter-of-fact age it is difficult to place belief +in anything savouring of the occult--anything which cannot be explained +by recognised natural laws, or which is not readily understood. + +For this reason, and notwithstanding indisputable evidence of the +genuineness of the claims put forward by water diviners, many people +regard them all as a huge joke, and laugh outright at the credulity of +their patrons. Certainly it is true that the faculty is claimed by many, +but possessed by few. After all, however mystifying it may be to the +ordinary mind, hard facts cannot be ignored, and proof positive has +repeatedly been adduced of the good work done by men possessing this +marvellous faculty. + +In Queensland alone, many western landholders--shrewd, hard-headed, +business men--have reason to be thankful that they secured the services +of a genuine and expert diviner, whose "magic wand" quickly disclosed +the whereabouts of sub-artesian water. Thus, it has happened as a result +of the diviner's visit that a bore is driven, and presently by means of +a wind-mill, or oil pump, a sparkling stream is brought from the vast +caverns which have held it prisoner, turning the oft-times dreary waste +into a smiling, life-giving oasis. + +In my opinion, what constitutes the faculty of divination is an inherent +quality that cannot be acquired. Some people describe it as a sixth +sense, while Dr. Grasset, a French authority, believes that the ability +to find underground streams proves the existence of a faculty belonging +to a class of psychological feelings forming what he calls "psychisme +inferieur," the study of which is just beginning to attract the +attention of the scientific world. + +Perhaps I should explain that, as a rule, a forked twig, the extremities +of which are held loosely in each hand, is used to locate sub-artesian +water, and in this connection its movements, so far as is known, can +only be affected by natural running streams. The rod, or twig, does not +work if carried over water passing through drains, culverts, and such +like. My explanation of the movements of the rod is that they are caused +by electro-magnetism, the diviner being perhaps highly charged with +electricity. The water has absorbed the electricity of the adjacent +bodies in the earth, the currents coming to the surface enters the +air--ether--and the currents entering his body, he being a +non-conductor, agitates him. Most people are conductors, consequently +the current passes through them, and they do not feel it. The electric +twig in the hands of the diviner forms a part of the connection between +the body and the water, and by a law of nature, these two bodies must +either attract or repel each other. If the experimenter is a person +with a small amount of the electric fluid in his nature, that is +negatively charged, the water being positive will draw down or attract +the twig, hence the downward movement. If on the other hand, he is +surcharged with electricity, or positive, the positive electricity of +the water will repel the other, and the twig will bend upwards. The +movements of the twig may thus be accounted for, but, comparatively, so +little is known or understood of the marvellous influences and workings +of electricity that it is impossible to be dogmatic on the question. + +[Illustration: SIR HUGH NELSON AT WINTON BORE. 1895.] + +The forks of the twig should be held lightly between the second and +third fingers of the hands, pressing the thumbs on the side of the twig +with just sufficient force to give the ends a slightly-outward +direction. If a person possesses the faculty, and water flows anywhere +beneath him, the twig will turn round on its ends between his fingers. +In my own case, should I hold the twig tightly over a natural +underground stream, it will bend under and round in an endeavour to +follow out the movement I have just mentioned. It will, perhaps, be +interesting to know that now I only use the twig for the purpose of +indicating the presence of streams. The faculty is so sensitive in my +hands that I can detect water if I am 20 yards away. I have found by +careful observation and study that I can far more effectively decide +upon the actual bore site by the indications which my hands give. +Holding them downwards, open, and with the palms facing, I have found +that as I approach the strongest, and therefore the most suitable, point +in the stream for boring, they are thrust forcibly apart and upwards by +the same power, apparently, that acts upon the twig. I found this out in +a peculiar manner. After marking a site with the twig, I happened to +place my hands together, and to my surprise they came up, and I could +not keep them together. + +I must say it was only by accident that I discovered my possession of +this faculty. About 1906, a water diviner visited the Winton district, +and one day several friends and myself went with him in his quest for +water. He explained his methods to the party, and naturally we all +provided ourselves with twigs. + +After living so many years in the dry, western country, I was, of +course, very interested in the experiment, and closely following +directions was astonished after walking about for some time to find my +rod revolving slowly. Members of the party near at hand were equally +astonished, and called loudly to the others to "come and look at +Corfield's twig." They, thinking it was due to the twig alone, soon +ruined it, but I felt that I was possessed of some power, which +previously I did not know I possessed, as I knew I was not turning the +stick myself. For about twelve months after that I closely studied every +phase of the phenomenon, and during that time I discovered good water +for many residents in the district. + +In 1907, an opportunity came to me to employ my faculty for the benefit +of pastoralists and the State generally. + +Mr. R. C. Ramsay, of Oondooroo Station, invited me to ascertain if good +water was obtainable in a dry belt of that country, and in this I was +entirely successful. + +It is an interesting fact that I do not require to leave a vehicle by +which I may be travelling in order to carry out my search for water. +Whilst seated in a train, or motor car, travelling at the rate of 30 or +40 miles an hour, I have by means of the rod located streams. If it were +not that the currents were in the air, as I have previously referred to, +I should be insulated by the India-rubber tyres of the motor. + +Reverting for the moment to the extent to which the faculty may be +exercised, a diviner is able to fix the breadth of these streams, the +position where their current is strongest, and to give a fairly +approximate estimate of what their supply may be. Without doubt water +can be found by an expert at great depths from the surface (the greatest +depth water was got in any of my sites, that I know of, is 950 feet at +Sandy Creek, eight miles west of Birkhead, where it flowed over the +casing). If the water is stagnant the divining rod is silent. I do not +profess to be able to tell if it is salt or fresh, although books on +divining say this may be ascertained by placing salt in the hands. + +Before giving the particulars of my water sites, I would explain that I +was under the impression that I could not feel water at a greater depth +than 300 feet. + +I was engaged by the Gregory Rabbit Board to mark a site on very high +country on Llanrheidol Station. I found a good stream not far from one +picked by another diviner, and I guaranteed that water would be struck +at 300 feet. A well was put down to that depth, but no water obtained. +On the strength of my guarantee the sinking of the well was abandoned. + +Later, I was engaged to mark sites on Vindex Station, and it was mainly +due to the perseverance of Mr. W. H. Keene, the manager, that water was +tapped over 300 feet. He sunk on one to 500 feet, the water rising to +within 152 feet from the surface. It was tested by being pumped for six +hours, but the 20,000 gallons per day could not be reduced. Water was +obtained at all my sites on Vindex. These results proved that my 300 +feet depth was wrong. + +I then contracted to test for water on the Nottingham blocks, which are +situated on very high downs country between Hughenden and Winton, at the +heads of the Landsborough, Flinders, and Diamantina Rivers. My previous +experience led me to believe that about 600 feet was my limit, and bores +were put down to over that depth and abandoned without water. Eventually +the owners selected a site, and put down an artesian bore, striking a +flow at about 2,000 feet. I felt sorry they did not sink on one of my +sites to prove exactly how deep I could feel underground water. + +Another failure was at Vuna selection. The site was on a continuation of +the high downs adjoining the Nottingham blocks. The bore was put down +over 500 feet at a spot which another diviner had endorsed as being a +good site. This and another one were also abandoned without water. + +At Glendower, near Prairie, on the Hughenden railway line, I selected a +site guaranteeing water if there would be at 300 feet, near a site which +had been put down 700 feet without water. The latter had been marked +haphazard, and I could not detect any indication of a stream. My site at +300 feet was also a failure. At this depth the bore was abandoned. + +A controversy was started in Charters Towers over a paragraph in the +_Northern Miner_, as follows:--"The Dalrymple Shire Council's well on +Victoria Downs road, at the _head_ of the 10-mile creek, on the spot +picked by Mr. George O'Sullivan, was sunk to a depth of 38 feet, and at +that depth water became so heavy that sinking conditions had to be +discontinued. The water rises to within 18 feet of the surface. This +site was stated to be barren of water by Mr. Corfield." The above +requires an explanation from me, which I now give. + +I was camped at Bletchington Park, where I had been marking sites for +Messrs. Symes Brothers, who had just completed one I had previously +marked within 100 yards of their homestead. They struck a supply of +15,000 gallons per day, at a depth of 70 feet. In the morning it was +arranged that Mr. J. Symes should drive me into Charters Towers, and +when on the road, asked me if I would mind looking at Sullivan's site at +the 10-mile creek. He said he did not know exactly where it was +situated. When we reached the creek we saw some trees stripped of bark +close to the crossing indicating the spot, as we thought, but I could +find no sign of water there. I did not go to the _head_ of the creek, +where I afterwards learnt the site was. Hence the statement that I had +declared the site barren of water. + +I have previously stated that water has been struck on my site in this +country at a depth of 950 feet, and I feel certain that in all these +instances, if boring had been continued, water would have been struck at +a payable depth. + +I will now relate some of my experiences of the efficacy of the divining +rod. + +It is my custom to use a compass to define the course of the underground +stream, which I leave on paper with the manager or owner to show in +which direction the stream is running. + +I was engaged by Messrs. Philp, Forsyth and Munro to mark sites for tube +bores on their property at Thylungra Station. After marking several +sites on the station, when passing through Brisbane later, on my way to +Cowley Station on the same errand, I interviewed Messrs. Philp and +Forsyth, who told me there had been a well sunk on my site and no water +obtained, but that the contractor had sunk a three-inch bore, where my +peg was, and had obtained good water for his camp use. I may state here +that where water is unobtainable close to the workings, this was a usual +occurrence. As the three partners were about to visit the station, I +asked them to discontinue working, and I would meet them there at a +certain date. This I did, and found in their presence that the well had +been put down two feet outside the breadth of the stream in the opposite +direction to which it was running. I advocated a new well being sunk in +the proper place, but they preferred driving in the direction to which I +had placed the peg. Such action may prove a partial failure, as they +might not strike the strong stream. I have not heard the result of their +decision, but it is certain that my directions of the course of the +stream have not been followed. Either Sir Robert Philp or Messrs. +Forsyth or Munro could corroborate the above statements. + +The Dalrymple Shire Council obtained my services to inspect a well which +had been sunk at Oakey Creek, distant about 15 miles from Charters +Towers, which they told me would only water twelve horses and then the +supply gave out. I found the well was on the edge of a strong stream, +the outer edge of which ran through the centre of the well, consequently +the rod would not work at the outer edge of the well. I marked the site +for a new one about six yards farther in. The members of the Council +decided to put down a circular cement well. They tapped the water under +40 feet and obtained an inexhaustible supply. When I received the letter +enclosing my fee, it contained a vote of thanks from the committee for +the good work done. No better place could be chosen for a demonstration +of the efficacy of the divining rod. + +Later, the Directors of the Carrington United Mine invited me to visit +their well at Lion's town, about 30 miles from Charters Towers, which +had become dry. I found this well was not on any stream, but that a +drive had been put in to drain the soakage from a sandy creek, which was +in close proximity, and the season being a dry one, this had also failed +to give any soakage. I crossed this creek, and found a stream 13 yards +wide, which I marked. Being located on a flat, I had the idea that +probably there might be more water further over. My surmise was right, +for on investigation I found another stream 14 yards wide, but running +in the direction as if it would join the other. This proved correct, the +whole width of the two streams measuring 27 yards. I told the manager, +who was present, I could get him a good site at a spot most suitable to +himself. The site was marked in the centre of the 27 yards. + +Miners were put on to work night and day, as about 100 men had been +thrown out of employment owing to the failure of the water supply. Water +was struck at 30 feet, which rose seven feet in the shaft in ten +minutes. The sinking was continued to 40 feet, the water rising to +within ten feet of the surface. When one considers the well was six feet +square, the supply can be imagined. + +Unknown to the man who was pumping the water to the mill, I later +visited the site and enquired if the water could be reduced in the +shaft. He replied:--"I have kept the pump going night and day, but +cannot lessen the supply." I then asked him if I might lift the slabs +which were covering the well. I did so with his permission, and saw the +water flowing in a steady stream across it. This satisfied me as to the +supply. + +At Avon Downs Station, near Clermont, a large well had been sunk near a +creek, with a diminishing supply of water. On investigation, I found the +well had been sunk on the edge of an underground stream. I advised a +drive to be put in towards the centre of the stream (which I marked). +Mr. Sutherland (the Inspector for the Australian Estates at that time) +informed me later that my advice had been carried out, and they had +obtained very satisfactory results. + +At Gindie State Farm, I was accompanied by Mr. Hamlyn (the Public +Service Improvement Engineer) to mark sites for the Department of +Agriculture. Mr. Jarrott, the manager, took us to a dry well sunk to a +depth of 80 feet. I could not feel any indication of water there, but a +few hundred yards away, on rising ground, I located two streams crossing +each other, and by the assistance of pegs, marked a site in the centre +of the two streams. Some months afterwards I met the manager in Emerald, +who said:--"Mr. Corfield, when you were marking that site at Gindie +State Farm, where the two streams crossed each other, the engineer and +myself were laughingly criticising your action, but never more will I +doubt your ability to find water." The Secretary of Agriculture later +informed me by letter that the top stream only yielded a small supply, +but the second stream, struck at 165 feet, augmented the supply that it +could not be lowered by the pump more than 35 feet, and that the +estimated yield of both streams was 10,000 gallons per day. + +In 1907, I marked several sites in the vicinity of Winton, and between +then and 1911, I travelled by coach and train, but principally by buggy, +an approximate distance of 20,000 miles, marking sites at different +stations, ranging from Charleville in the south-west, to Granada in the +north-west, in the back blocks of this State, besides locating water on +several stations on and near the eastern coast, and was successful in +locating water to the satisfaction of those interested. + +On a site marked by me at Mayne Junction, the Railway Department +obtained water at a reasonable depth, but the water on being analysed +was found to be unfit for locomotives, or for washing the carriages, +consequently it was abandoned. + +I also found a stream within two miles of Nundah railway station, which, +on a well being sunk, tapped the water at 30 feet. It rose 18 feet in +the shaft. This water is supposed to be of a highly medicinal character, +beautifully soft and palatable to drink. + +I also marked a few sites in New South Wales, and some at Birrallee +Station, out from Bowen. + +All this time I enjoyed perfect health, but in 1911 I began to get very +stiff in the legs, especially about the hips. Thinking it was +rheumatism, I went to the Innot hot springs, near Herberton. These baths +gave me no relief, so I went to Sydney to consult Sir Alexander +McCormack, who prescribed electrical treatment and hot air. This I tried +for four months without any good results. + +I then went to Rotorua, in New Zealand, consulting the doctor there, who +prescribed all the baths which are so efficacious in removing +rheumatism. The doctor, hearing of my having practised water divining so +long, diagnosed my case as neuritis, brought on by constant use of my +nerve energy in following that profession. + +From this time I desisted from my occupation, and only used my powers to +give a demonstration occasionally. + +I have tried since the Muckadilla bore water on several occasions, but +could obtain no improvement. + +An amusing incident occurred to me when marking sites on a cattle +station in the north-west of Queensland. + +I was being driven in a buggy drawn by a spanking pair of horses which +the driver, who was the manager of the station, could well handle. + +The manager was a very smart young fellow, a splendid rider, and in +every way qualified to manage such a property, and bore a high +reputation for considering the interests of his employers before +anything else. + +He was driving me through some ridgy country where the grass in the +gullies was very long and rank. I had located a good stream of water, +and was describing its direction by the aid of the compass. + +My companion asked if I could follow it, explaining there was a flat +half-a-mile farther on which would be a better place for the site. I +replied that I could do so, but asked him to drive along the outer edge +of the stream, so that I could detect if it curved away on that side. We +also zig-zagged inwards, so that I might be certain it was still going +in the right direction. + +Presently we came to a gully, which was covered with grass, and to all +appearance very shallow. On reaching it the horses jumped across it, +pulling the front wheel of the buggy into a deep hole. The back of the +buggy, caused by the hind wheels lifting, caught me between the +shoulders. I turned a somersault, and was thrown head first over the +wheels, with my head on the bank, and my legs hanging over the hole. +Having the rod in both hands, I was unable to break the fall. I yelled +out, "For God's sake, keep the wheels from going over my head." The +sudden jerk had also sent the driver over the splashboard, but like a +good horseman, he steadied himself with the reins and landed on his +feet. I then heard him say, "My God! I've killed him, and he hasn't +marked the site yet." Thinking of his employer's interest prevented him +giving me sympathy. + +When I found I was not hurt, and that I could rise without his +assistance, I could not but enjoy the situation, although the wheel went +over the rim of my hat whilst it was on my head. + +I eventually marked the site on the plain, but have not heard the result +of the boring. + + + Printed by + H. Pole & Co. Limited, + Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. + + + + + +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ + | Transcriber's Note: | + | | + |The following typographical errors have been corrected: | + | | + |Page 10: A period was added after the sentence ending with "in an | + |open yard." | + |Page 35: "eZaland" changed to "Zealand" (returning to | + |New Zealand) | + |Page 53: "myall" changed to "Myall" (he saw a lot of Myall) | + |Page 59: "blackboy" changed to "black boy" (Knowing I had no black | + |boy) | + |Page 73: "lfting" changed to "lifting" (On lifting his head) | + |Page 107: Apostrophe added before "Frisco" ('Frisco was _en-fete_) | + |Page 111: "evining" changed to "evening" (At dark one evening) | + |Page 125: "povisions" changed to "provisions" (strong piece of rope, | + |provisions) | + |Page 129: A period was added after the sentence ending with "the | + |House passed the bill." | + |Page 130: "sesssion" changed to "session" (during the session) | + |Page 139: "he" changed to "the" (the temperature) | + | | + |All other spelling and punctuation inconsistencies have been retained.| + +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Reminiscences of Queensland, by +William Henry Corfield + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REMINISCENCES OF QUEENSLAND *** + +***** This file should be named 27099.txt or 27099.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/0/9/27099/ + +Produced by Nick Wall, Meredith Bach and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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