178 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



some 12 or 15 feet above the ground, the reason for which I did 

 not discover, but it would probably be to escape the ravages of 

 the termites or white ants, which are very destructive to buildings 

 and furniture throughout the State. It was very rarely that a 

 chimney could be seen in any of the private dwellings, the climate 

 being so warm as to render fires unnecessary. After leaving 

 Brisbane, on the ist of August, and before passing Lady Elliot 

 Island, situated just below the tropic of Capricorn, we were 

 fortunate in seeing a shoal of Flying Fish, a species of mackerel 

 which abounds in these waters. It was a lovely sight to see them 

 rising clear out of the water and " flying " for a hundred yards or 

 more, the sunlight turning their wings to silver, gold, and many 

 iridescent colours. I was not able to visit Rockhampton, for, 

 on arrival at Keppel Bay, from which communication is made 

 with the city by lighter and launch, there was not sufficient time 

 available to go ashore, as the city is some 40 miles up the Filzroy 

 River. 



Mackay, although on the coast, is also communicated with by 

 lighters, which ply to the vessels at anchor about a mile and a 

 half from the shore. It seemed rather unfortunate that a city of 

 such big industries should be handicapped by lack of ship'ping 

 facilities, the water being shallow for such a long distance from 

 the shore as to make the construction of a jetty a matter of very 

 considerable expense. It is the principal centre of the sugar 

 trade of Queensland — '* Sugaropolis," as it is called — and all the 

 products of its huge sugar mills have to be taken to the vessels 

 for loading by the lighters previously mentioned. 



Steaming away to the north of Mackay we pass through the 

 far-famed Whitsunday Passage, studded 'with coral islands of all 

 shapes and sizes, some rising hundreds of feet above sea level, 

 timbered with Hoop Pine, Araucaria Cunninghami, and other 

 varieties ; others low-lying, destitute of vegetation, and at high 

 tide overswept by the sea. Navigation through these islands is a 

 matter of expert seamanship. At the northern end of the 

 Whitsunday Passage is Dent Island, on which is situated the 

 lighthouse which guards the entrance to the Passage, and to the 

 west lies the famous Lion or Pentecost Island, so called because 

 it presents a remarkable resemblance to a recumbent lion with 

 head erect when viewed from certain points. Immediately on 

 leaving the Passage the town of Bowen appeared in the distance, 

 and very shortly afterwards our steamer was berthed beside the 

 jetty. Having two hours to spare at this port, I landed and 

 walked towards the town; noted a fine grove of Cocoanut Palms 

 close to the beach, also Mango trees well out in flower, and 

 some nice specimens of Foinciana regia, with seed-pods nearly 

 two feet in length. The town, though small, boasts a museum of 

 some importance, and an inspection of it would be of interest to 

 students of zoology. 



