128 Nethercote, Girls' Camp at Nalioiial Park, [voi.'x'xxvi. 



luggage awaiting us. On the lee side of some tall tea-tree on 

 the north side of the Darby our three tents were soon erected 

 — -two sleeping and one dining tent, in which the provisions 

 were also stored. But the majority of the time, owing to ideal 

 weather, our morning and evening meals were eaten under the 

 shade of some fine Silver Honeysuckle trees, Banksia marginata. 

 A low, rude table was constructed, and a white tal)le-cloth made 

 it look homely. Each one produced her own table require- 

 ments—two plates, two knives, forks and spoons, and one mug. 

 The provisions were opened up ; bread, butter, honey, and jam 

 made their appearemce, and were placed on the tabic, whiU' 

 the billy boiled, and thus the first of our many happy camp 

 meals was made. 



Across the river could be seen the other rest-house, the 

 trustees' cottage, and the ranger's house. A fine bridge con- 

 nected us with the Park, and a few minutes' walk or swim 

 took us to the mouth of the Darby River. The south bank 

 ends in a granite headland, but the northern is soft dune rock, 

 fast crumbling away and helping to make the sand-bar at the 

 mouth of the stream. North of this is a long, uninterrupted 

 beach, over which vehicles can be driven at low tide, to 

 eventually pick up a road to Fish Creek, on the railway. 

 Directly back from this beach are endless kitchen middens, the 

 feasting-places of the aboriginals in days gone by. What 

 countless numbers of our fast-diminishing natives must have 

 frequented this spot to leave such high mounds of broken 

 shells ! Some of our time was spent here, and a number of 

 axes, tomahawks, needles, spear-heads, &c., found. Two 

 Pearly Nautilus shells were also found in the neighbourhood. 



From the Darby River a track runs behind the ranger's 

 cottage to Tongue Point, where some successful fishing was 

 done from the granite boulders. 



During the week it was decided to visit some of the fern gullies 

 further south, and, if possible. Sealers' Cove. This necessitated 

 taking a tent, bedding, and provisions for three days ; so one of 

 the Park horses was commandeered. The narrow sandy track 

 led round the foothills and over the Darl-)y Saddle — the first 

 heavily-tim1)ered country (Messmate and \\'hite Ironbark) we 

 had passed through. Fine coastal views were obtained in 

 places. Whisky Creek was our first water. The track then 

 led through heathy country — a splendid botanical collecting- 

 ground earlier in the season. A f(>w ]ilants, such as Cvrrea 

 alha, Hibbertia, sj)., Compholohim)! Hurgclii. lipacris imprcssa, 

 Coiivo/viil IIS (•riihcsci'iis. wyrc roiiiid in llnwcr. .\t about St-Ncii 

 miles \vc left the main track and turned t'ast into LilK-j^illx' 

 Gully. After the country just ])assed througli, tliis was a 

 surprise. The tree-ferns were very hue, and few of us had 



