THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 69 



near Fairfield Park, a piece of line which is likely to be made 

 good use of in the near future. Canterbury is soon reached, but 

 we see no resemblance to the famous cathedral town of old 

 England. Passing through Surrey Hills we reach Box Hill, and 

 here we are told we must transfer ourselves and our weapons to 

 the platform. Of course a journey of i8 miles could not be per- 

 formed in one train ; we must try another, though we are obliged 

 to confess we did not feel a bit more comfortable for the change. 

 Leaving Box Hill we get into what might be called the pot- 

 teries of Victoria, for little else is to be seen but brick and tile 

 factories, and the like, until Ringwood is reached. Here we 

 leave the Lilydale line and turn off to the right on to the Ferntree 

 Gully line, and our next stopping place proves to be at our 

 terminus, Bayswater station. Arriving here we discover our 

 carriage door to be carefully locked, the guard probably not 

 liking the look of us, so we are obliged to sit and see the only 

 coach, by which we had contemplated a ride of some three miles 

 on our journey, quickly crowded. Why our particular carriage 

 should have been locked and all the rest left open still remains a 

 mystery to us ; but so it was, and though we started with very 

 good intentions of bearing in mind the sacred character of the 

 day, we fear our thoughts at this particular time were not of a 

 very pious order. 



At last we were permitted to alight on the platform, and the 

 railway officials still perhaps thinking there was something un- 

 canny about us, did not ask for tickets. We feel compelled to 

 own that the "get up" of one of the party somewhat tended to 

 lead to suspicion as to his mental stability, for it is not often, we 

 think, that a fisherman, equipped with fishing basket, &c., goes 

 a-fishing with a camera tripod. 



We have spoken previously of our weapons, and perhaps it 

 would be as well here to explain the nature of them. They con- 

 sisted of nothing more murderous than two cameras, with the 

 necessary etceteras, and the game of which we were in pursuit 

 consisting of shadows, perhaps after all the railway officials have 

 a keener perception than we gave them credit for. 



Well, the coach was already overloaded, and before we had 

 time to ask many questions we were left alone on the platform. 

 There was no help for it ; walk it we must, and off we started. 

 Striking out on the road leading in the direction of the gully, we 

 reached the coach terminus, distant about three miles or so, 

 almost as soon as the coach itself, heavily loaded though we were. 

 Here a short halt was made, and lightening ourselves of some of 

 our baggage, we decided to leave it at a house near by, and call 

 for it on our return. The owner of the house being a fruit 

 grower, we purchased some of his produce, which proved very 

 enjoy alale. 



