EYRE'S PENINSULA 131 



Our leaders planned an excursion to Coffin's Bay, 

 at the south-eastern end of the Great Australian 

 Bight, and it was my good fortune to be a member 

 of the small party selected for the journey, which 

 resulted in a number of species being added to our 

 list of birds. An evening was devoted to the study 

 of maps ; we pored over them in the light of a swing- 

 ing lantern, killing mosquitoes mechanically, and 

 brushing away moths and beetles in a manner that 

 would have disgusted our entomologist, had he been 

 present. Meanwhile, the organiser had visited the 

 nearest farmer, and hired a buckboard vehicle and 

 two Mallee brumbies. He also engaged a driver. 

 We began the journey early next morning. Our 

 companions, who were to remain in camp, assembled 

 to give us a farewell cheer, and we felt as if we were 

 bound on a mission of great moment. The vehicle 

 was built for six persons at most, and, with the 

 driver, we were eight. Besides, room had to be found 

 for cameras, guns and provision boxes. It was a 

 very tight squeeze indeed, and we took it in turn to 

 ride on the step. Occasionally, owing to the state 

 of the road, it became necessary for all except the 

 driver to alight. We did not mind this, for after 

 an hour spent above jolting wheels, walking was rest- 

 ful ; besides, we were able to glance at birds in the 

 scrub, which would otherwise have escaped notice 

 Our driver was a cheerful man, with large, freckled 

 face, framed in sandy whiskers. Nothing perturbed 

 him, but he chuckled once or twice when some long 

 word, Cinclorhamphus, for instance, tickled his ears. 

 Naturalists were "queer chaps" in his philosophy. 



We had not covered five miles when one of the 

 horses became restive, kicked viciously, and broke a 

 swing bar. The driver was in no wise disconcerted ; 

 he jumped down, repaired the damage as he best 

 could, and resumed the "box seat," smiling genially. 

 An hour later, as a protest against the weight im- 

 posed upon it, one of the axle springs snapped a 



