

The Nautilus. 



Vor,. XV. JANUARY, 1902. No. 9. 



A DAY ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF 



BY CHARLES HLDLEV. 



" All hands on deck ! " Ugh i " The billy's boiled ! " Groan. 

 " The tide is falling fast ! " That fetched your conchologist. 

 Sleepily he crawled out and reached for his mug of hot tea. Balanc- 

 ing himself on the combings he looked abroad. 



Far hi the west the jungle-clad mountains of tropical Queensland 

 loomed soft and blue. Between lay a purple sea which in the near 

 distance suddenly changed to the vivid green of shoal water. To 

 windward a beach of coral sand showed white and bright under the 

 dense foliage which smothered a long, low island. Bevond it a line 

 of foaming breakers stretched to the sky-line. Back against the 

 •white surf there rose the bristling fangs of the reef, rank after rank 

 passing in long perspective out of sight. Below in the clear water, 

 the links of the cable lay as sharp on the sand as if 'the cutter had 

 floated in the air. Down overboard a blue starfish {Li'ickia) slept, 

 here a prickly urchin, there a madrepore. 



Regardless of scenery the party munched their damper, and asked 

 what was the scarlet tree ashore, and should the cook be keel-hauled 

 for opening plum jam instead of marmalade. 



" Get the dingy up and look alive ! " quoth the captain. Into her 

 tumbled all hands, Mr. Conglomerate, the Captain, the cook, the jib- 

 sheet hand, and Mr. Conchologist. Safe in the locker are stowed 

 all the nice town clothes. A soft felt hat, "flannel shirt, twcvd pants, 

 belt and sheath-knife, and big laborer's boots with thick socks rig 

 out a man for the reef. Mem. tie your boots with string instead of 



