68 Macgillivrav, Ornithologists in North Queensland, [jsf'oct. 



When we emerged a more westerly course was taken, and we 

 went on, hoping to reach the Ashmore Banks before dusk. The 

 wind had dropped, and our progress was very slow ; however, 

 sea-snakes at intervals, Medusae of every size, shape, and colour, 

 with the animal life parasitic or commensal on them, served to 

 interest us and fill many of Mr. Kershaw's specimen jars. 

 Every cupful of water contained living forms, and we could see 

 fish of many shapes and colours at all depths. Night fell and hid 

 all, and we sailed on in the moonlight until we gained the 

 anchorage off the banks. At dawn we started for the Sir Charles 

 Hardy Islands. Progress was very slow ; still, the teeming animal 

 life in the sea kept our interest from flagging, and when we reached 

 shallower water the boys gave us an exhibition of their wonderful 

 diving powers till the alarm of " Shark " was given and all were 

 soon aboard. We noted the passing of the sharks, with their 

 attendant pilot-fish in front, like a team of horses harnessed and 

 driven by invisible bonds. Ttie boat hardly moved, and, in 

 despair of ever reaching the Hardys, we took to the boats, rowed 

 the last three miles, and landed at last where Dr. Dobbyn and I 

 landed three years previously. After some time on the island 

 we sailed for Piper Island. As we could not reach it, we made 

 Haggerstone Island, going round the south end and anchoring 

 opposite a sandy beach where thei'e was a deserted tenement. 

 Opposite this side of the island, and slightly to the north, is Cape 

 Grenville, with the outlying Sir Everard Home Islands. For 

 some days we had noticed dark, thundery clouds over the main- 

 land, which, from here to the Pascoe River, is low-lying, sandy, 

 and barren, making a decided barrier between the upper part of 

 Cape York and the mountainous country at the back of Lloyd's 

 Bay and to the north and soath of it. Haggerstone is a high, 

 rocky island about ij miles in length by i mile in width, rising 

 about 500 feet above sea-level. It is clothed with scrub, in which 

 are many large" trees with interlacing climbers. Mangroves and 

 tea-tree border its foot for three-parts of the way round. Birds 

 were numerous on the island, and we spent an interesting day 

 amongst tnem, getting away to our boat before dark to escape 

 the attentions of the sand-flies, which were very troublesome. 



Next day, with a favourable wind, we made a good run to 

 Lloyd's Bay, which we reached after dark, after grounding on a 

 reef, from which we were freed by the native crew diving and 

 shouldering the vessel off. We slept on board, and were 

 awakened towards morning by a fall of rain. We rigged a sail 

 shelter, and watched the day breaking in the tail end of a storm. 

 The sun, rising behind Lloyd's Island, produced, with the stormy 

 sky, a very beautiful effect, a fine double rainbow showing up 

 well against the dark clouds obscuring the western sky. After 

 breakfast our chattels were transferred to a cutter, and, with the 

 favouring monsoonal wind, we soon reached the mouth of the 

 Claudie. There was not sufficient wind to take us far up this 

 river, so we took to the two rowing boats — ^two natives in one 



