188 Report of a Journey Around the World. 



sioual low islands, and alternate blue and green water in streaks of 

 varying width, seldom half a mile, showing a furrowed bottom. 

 Little of interest and a cold easterly wind blowing. 



Tuesday, Oct. 15. Land close all the morning and weather cool 

 but wind less. Land high (4000 ft. ? ) , and I was told that the land 

 west of this ridge was good for sugar-cane. Low Island Light was 

 a pretty island with several good houses and a number of ornamen- 

 tal or fruit trees ; it was connected by a low spit to another longer, 

 jungle-covered island. At 10:45 we passed Cairns ; many white 

 houses on the beach outside the entrance ; was told that the gulches 

 on the other side were very picturesque with ferns and waterfalls. 

 All day they were painting the ship, to the great annoyance of 

 passengers, but as the freight did not complain it made no difference 

 to those in charge of the boat. About 6 p.m. passed Hinchinbrook 

 Island(?), a high, curiously outlined mountain, perhaps 2000 ft., 

 said to have a lake in a depression on the north side, and to be 

 shunned by the aborigines as the abode of evil spirits. 



Wednesday, Oct. 16. After a pleasant night, up at 5:30 and 

 found we were very near land. Passed a beautiful rock island on 

 the starboard that would have been a fine site for a castle, the 

 actual rocks closely simulating a ruin. There was a small beach 

 in a cove, and a prolongation toward the south that looked arable. 

 This was in the cyclone region where several steamers have gone 

 down with all hands. February is the dangerous month. In 

 Whitsunday Pass there were very picturesque islands on both sides 

 of the narrow passage, some with trees like firs. All the high 

 islands were clothed with forest to the summit. The wind blew 

 fiercely dead ahead and was chilly. Some birds of a light color 

 and small size had a curious way of keeping close together as the} 7 

 flew over the water, looking as if perched on an invisible roost which 

 was bearing them along. Here came a conical island with nearly 

 encircling islets, reminding one of the ruins of a prehistoric volcano, 

 all clad in peaceful forests: no life visible, either aboriginal or 

 introduced. 



Friday, Oct. 18. Arrived at Brisbane soon after noon, and 

 after the usual farce of medical examination came up to the wharf, 

 still some miles from town. There stood my old friend and former 

 assistant at this museum Acland Wansey, who had come 527 miles 

 by rail to meet me, and it was the pleasantest sight I had seen 



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