WHERE THE PELICAN BUILDS 143 



Narrows," a reedy channel which links Lake Alexan- 

 drina to Lake Albert. Several great birds came into 

 view once, when the vessel was close to the shore, and 

 were quickly identified as Ostriches. The skipper 

 stated that there were hundreds of these birds on two 

 of the lake stations, and we were destined to see more 

 of them. But the most interesting picture of wild 

 Nature vouchsafed us in the course of the voyage was 

 that of an Emu, bending to drink from a pool near the 

 beach. 



We reached Meningie at dusk. The lights of the 

 little township looked friendly, and we were glad to 

 be among them, for the lake voyage had chilled us and 

 sharpened our appetites. After dinner we sat by a 

 fire of Mallee roots in the hotel parlour, and studied 

 a map of the Coorong. The host was interested in 

 our plans, and gave valuable advice. Later, I sallied 

 out to meet a fisherman, with a view to hiring his 

 motor-launch. But the lucky fellow said that he 

 was earning from 15 to 20 a week, it being the 

 Murray Cod season, and, unless I could pay him more, 

 he could not relinquish fishing. This was disconcert- 

 ing, because the bird-life of the lake could not be pro- 

 perly studied without a boat. However, I hired from 

 the hotelkeeper a light waggonette and pair of horses, 

 purposing to drive along the Coorong and seek a craft 

 at Woods Wells. A driver was engaged, and early 

 next morning we left Meningie. The air was bleak, 

 and, though muffled in great coats and rugs, we 

 shivered. A few miles out two sundowners were seen 

 crouched over a burning Grass-tree by the roadside. 

 Rain had fallen overnight, and in many places the 

 road was waterlogged. It was dreary driving through 

 the Mallee, though some amusement was derived from 

 the birds on the telegraph wires. Several Foxes were 

 seen; one loped across the road a few yards in front 

 of the horses, turning its head for a moment to gaze 

 at us, inquisitively. The driver remarked that the 



