THE VICTORIAN NATUHALIST. Of) 



had been proclaimed a public linlidfiy in honor of tlie anniversary of 

 her Majesty's birthday), was probably as enjoyable as any. The 

 •day was all that could be desired, the sun shone out brightly, and a 

 mild breeze prevailed which rendered walking not only exceedingly 

 agreeable but a positive pleasure, indeed one must have been of a 

 most lazy and indolent nature who could not appreciate all the ad- 

 vantages to health and mind, to be derived from a walking trip 

 under such exceptiotally favourable circumstances. The locality 

 selected for the F.N.C. to explore was the well-known watering 

 place, Frankston, situated on the eastern shore of Hobson's Bay, 

 a distance from Melbourne about 27 miles. When the train left 

 the city at 9 o'clock a.m., on the Tuesday, some twelve members 

 had put in an appearance, among them being four of the juniors, of 

 whom it may be justly stated that they were equally if not more 

 energetic than the elder ones. The journey by train is a somewhat 

 monotonous one, so far as scenery is concerned, especially after we 

 leave Brighton. The country presents nothing worthy of note, for 

 after passing Mordialloc, the train skirts so close to the beach on the 

 ■one side and the wretclied looking Carrum swamp on the other, that 

 ■nothing is to be seen but the everlasting Tea-tree, Melaleuca ericifolia, 

 and the common Coast Honeysuckle, Banksia integrifolia^ and the 

 station master here, (unless he be of a particular romantic turn of 

 mind), must indeed have anytljing but a lively time of it. 



To anyone who has been accustomed to travel and collect in this 

 neigiibourhood, 80 years smce, when a collector might have worked 

 for days and even weeks, without seeing a living soul or hearing a 

 .sound save those of cattle, bullock-bells, or perhaps the yabbering 

 of a stray blackfellow and his lady, these forming the remnant of the 

 once powerful, but fast disappearing Mordialloc tribe, who used to 

 frequent the Kananook Creek for the purpose of spearing eels, 

 Avhich formed part of their daily food, it certainly seems strange to 

 be occasionally disturbed ly the shrill screetch of the passing 

 locomotive and its living freight of pleasure seekers, which, after all, 

 only reminds us of extending civilization, and points to a speedy and 

 effective curtailment of our collecting fields. Having made this 

 perhaps unwarrantaiJe digression, it may be of interest to relate a 

 curious incident that here came under the notice of one of the writers 

 of these notes, viz., that in or near the spot on which the Kananook 

 Kailway Station now stands, more than 27 years since, a small party 

 of which the writer was one, came suddenly upon an Aboriginal 

 woman who was lying in a Mia Mia made of a few leaves, and upon 

 questioning her, we learned that her lord and master had suspected 

 her of an intent to elope, so he took the effective hnt somewhat 

 ungallant plan of breaking the lady's leg, in which sad condition we 

 found her as described above. The author of this novel, prompt, but 

 cruel treatment, was afterwards much mutilated by a friend of the 



