156 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



fishes, turtles, and snakes, ready to seize moving 

 objects. I once saw a large pike come within a 

 few inches of a boat, attracted thither by a lily, 

 which a lady was drawing by the stem through the 

 water. 



Townsville is a small city, much in advance of some 

 of the other places we had visited, and seemed to be in 

 a flourishing condition. At one side of the town rises 

 a steep, rocky hill, and back a few miles is a range of 

 low mountains. We were very successful at this place, 

 and had crowded houses as long as we remained. 

 Shelley and I spent most of our time a mile or two 

 from town, near the river and the shallow lagoons, 

 where birds were abundant. One day I shot several 

 ducks on a lagoon, and tried to hire an Australian 

 black to go in after them ; but he was not to be 

 tempted with the promise of silver, and answered, 

 " No, fear. Too much afraid crocodile, to go longa 

 water." Laughing at him, I went in after them my- 

 self; but as I was dressing, I saw in the mud the 

 track of one of the large reptiles, and concluded that 

 it would take more than a few ducks to tempt me to 

 again make myself bait for a crocodile. 



Some of the lagoons were covered with large purple 

 water-lilies ; a beautiful sight when all in bloom in the 

 morning. Large Norton Bay fig and gum trees over- 

 hung the water, and the grass on the banks was a deep 

 green. I made a painting of one pretty spot I used to 



