14 



eiiigma among birds, the mallee lieu, constructs its natural incu- 

 bator; tlie wallaby hops along its well-defined traelv, which leads 

 to some claypan or feeding ground. The party pushed on, and, 

 \\ ith a halt now and again to observe some bird in the vicinity of 

 the track, the horses were Lcept up to the collar. At Lake Wau- 

 giiry camp was called for the night. 



— A Happy Hunting Ground. — 

 On the following day all members of the party were about early, 

 anxious to explore the new fields. A start was made for Horse 

 I'eninsula, a narrow strip of land jutting out into Port Douglas, 

 forming on the east side ?tlount Dutton Bay. This peninsular was 

 once a great camping ground of the aborigines, and therefore of 

 great interest to some of the scientists, for they soon traced the 

 extensive stone fishtraps into which the dusky warriors (now long 

 since passed away) have driven many a shoal of fish to be speared. 

 Tlieir cooking places were to be seen all around where the fish 

 and cockles had been cooked for ages past. Many rough imple- 

 ments used by the almost extinct race for the preparation of 

 food — of course all stone — were uneartlied or lay bleaching on the 

 sand. 



— An Aboriginal Graveyai'd. — 

 Ancient burial grounds were in the sand, the surface of which 

 has become disturbed by the action of the wind. Fragments of 

 human skeletons were found after groping for several hours amid 

 the sand, which had many times been damped by tears of friends 

 of the departed (aborigines are great at lamenting), sand which 

 had absorbed many human bodies. 



— A Human Pitfall.— 



The scientists moved on up the coastline to where it rose in bold 

 relief in cliffs from the rocks below, on which the ever restless 

 ocean breaks in foam. This spot is marked as a point of interest, 

 for it was liere many years ago about 50 'of the now-despised 

 natives were forced after a tedious drive to the edge of the cliff 

 and then over it at the muzzle of the settlers' guns, to be dashed 

 to pieces on the rocks below, simply for spearing stock that had 

 been let loose upon their own country which white man had robbed 

 them of. just as Ave would nowadays shoot a neighbour's fowls 

 that continually trespassed upon our land. 



— A Picturesque Coastline. — 

 The party retraced their steps along the bay to Wangary, and 

 thence along the shores of Mount Dutton Bay and Killidie Bay. 

 The day was a fine one. and the land and water scape were charm- 

 ing beyond description. The fine landlocked harbour of Port 



