128' Nethekcoti:, Girls' Camp at National Park. [voi."^xxxvi. 



luggage awaiting us. Ou the Ice side of some tall tea-tree on 

 the north side of the Darby our tlu-ee 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 hue Silver Honeysuckle trees, Banksia marginata. 

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

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

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

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

 made their appearance, and were placed on the table, while 

 the l)illy 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 l)ack from this beach are endless kitchen middens, the 

 f(>asting-places of the aboriginals in days gone by. What 

 countless numbers of our fast-diminishing natives nnist 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, needhs, 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 

 th(^ Park horses was commandeered. The narrow sandy track 

 h>d round the foothills and over the Darby Saddle — the first 

 heavily-timbered country (Messmate and White Ironbark) we 

 had passed through. Fine coastal views were obtained in 

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

 kxl through heathy country — a splendid botanical collecting- 

 ground earlier in the season. A few plants, such as Corrca 

 alba, Hibbertia, sp., (ionip/iolohiiini Iliicgelii, lipacris inipressa, 

 Convolviiliis (•nihi'scc'us, were found in llower. At about se\'en 

 miles we left tlie main track and turned east into Lill\-pill\' 

 CruUy. After tlu' country just past^ed through, this was a 

 surprise. The tree-ferns were \'ery fine, and few of us had 



