THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 129 



appeal to them as well fitting it to the purpose in view, while the 

 beauty of the scenery was such as to appeal to all as being worthy 

 of a people's park. 



Meanwhile, other influences were at work with a view of cutting 

 up the area in question. On 8th July, 1887, Mrs. Gordon- 

 Baillie waited on the Minister for Lands, Mr. J. L. Dow, and 

 endeavoured to secure a grant of 45,000 acres of land, near the 

 Promontory, for the settlement of some Skye crofters. It was 

 intended, she said, to settle t,ooo of them on freehold allotments, 

 their chief industry to be fishing. The question was discussed in 

 the press (see, for instance, the Argus of 9th, nth, 12th, and 13th 

 July). On i6th July a long letter appeared by Mr. J. L. Purves, 

 in which he gave an interesting description of the district, or more 

 especially of the coast line and parts adjacent. He advocated 

 the reservation of township sites on the various bays, but did not 

 appear to think the country of much value except for sightseers 

 and for fishermen to spread their nets. By the regulations then 

 existing no facilities were given for the alienation of small 

 blocks. 



The result of this endeavour of Mrs. Gordon-Baillie's was ap- 

 parently to urge Mr. Gregory to do something definite, and he 

 moved that a deputation wait on the Minister {Vict. Nat., iv., p. 

 66, 8th August, 1887). This deputation saw Mr. Dow in 

 February of the following year, and was attended by members of 

 our Club, and of the Royal Society, the Royal Geographical 

 Society, and the Academy of Arts. 



A brief note in the Naturalist (vol. iv., p. 197) says that the pro- 

 posal was favourably received, " and there was every probability 

 that the greater part of the peninsula would be reserved." 

 Nothing, however, was done, and in May, 1890, the Club again 

 approached Mr. Dow. The Naturalist (vii., p. 16) says that the 

 Minister was thoroughly in accord with the object the deputation 

 had in view, and he promised that "the remainder" — whatever 

 that was — " would be permanently reserved for State purposes," 

 and "suitable regulations would be prepared by the Lands 

 Department and submitted to the Club for its approval." It was 

 then thought ihat everything was satisfactory. The maps 

 prepared some time afterwards showed that the site was reserved 

 for a National Park, and the Game Act specially forbade the 

 killing of any native animals, excepts snakes, on the reserve 

 (Government Gazette, 4/1 1/98). 



Since that time the land has been held under three separate 

 grazing rights, and a comparatively small number of cattle have 

 been run on it. In September last it was brought under the 

 notice of the Club's committee that a further encroachment was 

 contemplated, and the land was to be cut up into 1,000- 



