38 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



with a weapon which is curiously like the whale lance 

 of the civilised man. 



I stayed at Cedar Bay from June to Christmas, and 

 then decided to make a trip home to England. That 

 trip was I suppose the most perilous experience I 

 have had during the whole course of my life. Our 

 ship caught on fire and encountered terrible gales, 

 and we were ten days overdue on our arrival. 



I had now been away from England for five years, 

 and was aged twenty-two. My purpose in coming 

 to London was to see my people and to dispose of 

 the collections I had made. But I was not at all 

 tired of the life in the Antipodes. I think if it had 

 been a question of going back to Australia and taking 

 to " humping bluey " again I would cheerfully have 

 gone rather than have faced the prospect of a city 

 life. But, as it was, I was now getting into the 

 stride of the work as a collector, and looked to the 

 future with some degree of confidence. 



I was not home long before I wanted to get away 

 to the Bush again. So my stay in London on this 

 occasion was limited to some three months. I saw the 

 Hon. Walter Rothschild and made arrangements with 

 him that I was to send all collections that I made to 

 his Tring Museum and allow him the first choice of 

 all specimens that I won. I had at the time formed 

 no very definite plans as to my future movements, 

 but I had decided to go either to New Guinea or 

 West Australia collecting. What I desired was to 

 explore new country where there was a chance of 



