THE GREAT BARRIER REEF 313 



see what the Australians call their bear, a tree kangaroo. 

 He was much interested in some of the valleys so char- 

 acteristic of Australia, whose structure has greatly puz- 

 zled the older geologists, but which he speaks of as 

 simple enough to an American who has seen the large 

 and small canons of Colorado and elsewhere. Mean- 

 while the Croyden had started for Brisbane, where the 

 party went by rail, joining the ship on April 16. 



On Board the Croyden, 



Townsville, Queensland, 



April 22, 1896. 



"To-morrow a.m. we put into Townsville where I 

 shall mail this letter. We left Brisbane the 16th, p.m., 

 and ever since until to-day we have had beastly weather, 

 much worse than anything between San Francisco and 

 Sydney. We dropped right into it [rough weather] the 

 night of the 16th and by next a.m. made what is called 

 " Wide Opening," which is seventy miles from Bris- 

 bane, and cut off about fifty miles of outside sea, so 

 we had peace for breakfast, and anchored in the even- 

 ing at the lighthouse of Break Sea Spit ; then we went 

 ashore, saw some natives, and after dinner put to sea 

 so as to reach Lady Elliot Island, the southernmost 

 reef, by daylight. When we got there it was blowing 

 hard and raining, so there was no landing possible, and 

 we kept on, passed the Bunker and Porcupine Islands, 

 which are rather peculiar reefs, without chance of see- 

 ing them. So we put in for the night at Keppel Bay, 

 where we had a good night and quiet dinner. The next 

 day we remained there hoping for a change of weather, 

 but none being in sight, we left at night for the next 

 anchorage, the Percy Islands. When we got there we 



