95 



down with Captain Lloyd in the " Swansea Packet," and 

 coming back with Captain Domincy in the " Ripple," both 

 regular traders. 



The inhabitants were little changed during the four years 

 which had elapsed. I found the well-remembered faces, and 

 received the same cordial welcome and hospitality as before. 

 Similar packs of half-starved dogs lifted up their voices, and 

 would have stolen anything eatable left within their reach. 

 The children had, of course, grown up beyond recognition ; 

 and an old resident, Mr. Bennett, had returned, and was 

 busy building a good-sized barge. Doherty, the oldest 

 inhabitant, who has been there ever since 1849, placed a hut 

 at Observatory Point at my disposal, and Captain Lloyd lent 

 me a good whtileboat. 



Besides those at Port Davey settlement, numbering about 

 50, there is an isolated establishment at Spring River, where 

 Mr. Page was at work, but he was unfortunately hampered 

 in his proceedings by a sad accident which befell his mate 

 George Baker, When itpon a scaffold to fell a tree, Baker 

 lost his balance, and his foot caught in one of the props, which 

 caused him to swing and fall heavily against the butt of the 

 tree, dislocating his left shoulder. There was no opportunity 

 for nearly a month after this to get him to town for medical 

 assistance, the shoulder remaining " out " all the time. Dr. 

 Crowther was applied to, but Baker had to go to the 

 Hospital for the operation of setting. Since then (owing 

 possibly to the prior delay) the whole arm has been powerless, 

 and is gradually withering and decaying, extending upwards 

 from the fingers. The poor fellow's days of active labour 

 seemed at an end — the more to be deplored because he was a 

 very steady industrious man, with a wife dependent upon his 

 exertions. 



The houses at Bramble Cove were all unoccupied. 



My anticipations of good sport were not fully realised in 

 consequence of the weather. Continual storms, with a low 

 barometer, entirely precluded trumpeter fishing (for which 

 one has to go outside the Heads), and made boating generally 

 attended with more risk than pleasure. I visited Kelly's 

 Basin and the West Coast beyond it ; went up Bathurst 

 Harbour and New Harbour Creek nearly to Cox's Bight; 

 and up the Davey River to the plains known as Longley's 

 Ground and The Rookery. Kangaroo, wallaby, wombat, 

 ducks, and swans were abundant ; some of the latter were 

 then " moulters," and we could pull them down with the 

 boat. The greatest treat, now as formerly, was the plentiful 

 supply of oysters, Kelly's Basin containing the largest and 

 most easily obtained rock-oysters I have seen, and they 



