Aug,"] 

 1917 J 



KosENUAiN, .-J Tlwasand Miles on River Murray. 53 



I 



Campbell's Island, 123 miles from Echuca. On this island, 

 formerly, wild pigs were very numerous, but soon after that 

 became known the pigs were shot out for market. There are 

 no pigs there now. The next important point is Pental Island, 

 34 miles further on. Ditring this stage some very fine scenery 

 is met with. This island is now cut up into small irrigation 

 farms. Formerly, wild pigs were numerous. 



Tlie next point is Swan Hill, 192 miles from Echuca, which 

 we reached at 6 p.m. on Sunday, 3rd September, 36 hours 

 after leaving Echuca. At Swan Hill the lift-bridge and wharf 

 were crowded with people. There was great excitement at 

 seing so large a steamer as the Ruby. It created quite a stir ; 

 in fact, all along the river from Echuca, at the little villages 

 which we passed, there were eager sightseers, lots of whom 

 had never seen such a large steamer befoi'e. The mosquitoes 

 here were as thick as bees in swarming-time. Fo^ miles on 

 either side of the river the country was flooded. Lots of home- 

 steads were only a few inches above the water. We passed 

 numbers of small fruit gardens and orangeries. The banks of 

 the river at these irrigation plots had been raised so as to keep 

 out flood waters. 



We left Swan Hill at 4 a.m. on Monday, 4th Septemljer. 

 Twenty miles further is Nyah, a new Victorian irrigation settle- 

 ment, chiefly orange culture. A little further on we passed 

 a hut, outside of which a half-caste woman and five children 

 were standing — Mrs. AUnations. She has Chinese, Afghan, 

 black, and white children ; hence her name. We soon pass 

 Tooley sheds, on the New South Wales side. The first wool 

 ever shipped on the Murray went from here to Goolwa, in 

 South Australia. From this point to Wakool junction — 

 40 miles — the Murray winds considerably. The River Wakool 

 flows into the Murray at a most picturesque spot. We took 

 fuel on board here. Thirty miles further on we pass Murrum- 

 bidgee junction. The water from this river is nice and clear. 

 A flight of about 150 to 200 Native Companions hovered over 

 the steamer at this point. The Murrumbidgee is not a very 

 large river, but is navigable for a considerable distance. The 

 weather up till now had been absolutely perfect. The river 

 being fairly wide and straight after passing the Murrumbidgee, 

 we steamed all night. At 6 a.m. on Tuesday, 5th September, 

 we made fast opposite a survey camp on the Victorian side to 

 land provisions. The banks at this point were about 20 feet 

 high, and it was with some difliculty we got the cargo on 

 shore. From here the river makes a 90-mile bend, which is 

 only 17 miles across on land. This survey camp is 406 miles 

 from Echuca and iii miles from Mildura. At 9 a.m. we made 

 fast to the 717-mile tree at Kulkyne landing, close to Chalka 



