^°'-_^'] Mi.i.i.DK, Mallee-Fowl for a Sanctuary. 1 13 



her reputation as a "roller." Our (iist place <>t call was 

 American River, wheie the skii)[)er had to land a boat-load ol 

 cargo. Next we proceeded to Antechamber Bay, where an liour 

 or so was spent in " sounding " for a proposed jetty at the mouth 

 of the Chapman River. By noon Cape Willoughby was reached, 

 and some stores landed in the boat for the hghthouse-keepers 

 there. Then we made for the oi)en ocean, where we met tlic full 

 force of the swell coming in from the south. At D'Estree Bay 

 more stores were landed in the boats, and at night we cast anchor 

 in Vivonne Bay ; but there is little or no shelter from the swell, 

 and we spent the night in a constant roll from side to side. The 

 morning broke with the wind still high and a drizzling rain. 

 There was a quantity of timber of huge size to l)e landed for the 

 construction of a jetty. (])wing to the dihiculty and danger of 

 the work we were forced to wait for two nights and a day and a 

 quarter. The doctor and I had a little time ashore, but the wet 

 and boisterous weather made it by no means pleasant, and we 

 were glad to get back to the ship and seek a warm corner near 

 the engine-room. My precious charges were my chief anxiety, 

 as the box was small, and I had great difificulty in keeping them 

 dry and warm. They did not seem inclined to eat much. Added 

 to this was the fact that our skipper even now held out very little 

 hope of being able to land at Cape Borda. It looked as if I were 

 doomed to take the birds back to Adelaide, and perhaps lose 

 some through their long and rough confinement. 



On Friday morning we weighed anchor in Vivonne Bay, and 

 encountered a tremendous sea as we got out and battled our 

 way to Cape De Couedie, where more lighthouse stores were landed 

 with great risk and difficulty, the ship's boat having to take 

 them off to the small jetty, where a small anchor was dropped, 

 and the goods taken from the boat by means of a crane, thence 

 by a " flying fox " to the top of the cliffs, 400 feet above. 



The northerly wind had dropped, and we cast anchor at 

 Harvey's Return on Friday night under calm conditions, and I 

 heaved a sigh of relief to think that in all jn'obability next 

 morning I should be able to accomplish my mission. For the 

 first night since leaving Port Adelaide our little craft ceased 

 her rolling, and we got a welcome rest. Next morning, 22nd 

 July, we were astir at daylight, as the captain had promised to 

 send off a special boat, so that I could attend to my birds and 

 be ready to depart by the time the lighthouse stores had been 

 landed. Accordingly, in the dim, misty light, and an equally 

 misty rain, we were lowered overside, and made for the shore in 

 the bitterly cold atmosphere. Fortune favoured us, as we reached 

 the rocks without a " breaker," which is rather exceptional at 

 this rough and open place. My old friend Mr. H. C. Tyley, the 

 lighthouse-keeper, was on shore to meet me and give me a 

 welcome grip, and, what was equally pleasing, informed me that he 

 had recently seen one of the Mallee-Fowls which he had assisted 

 me to liberate last February. This showed that my belief that 



