6 WHITE— A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White. 



A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White — 

 Ornithologist, Soldier, Sailor, and Explorer. 



By his son, S. A. White. 



I.— THE ORNITHOLOGIST. 



Samuel White came to South Australia with his 

 brother William when they were small boys in 1842; their 

 father, John White, having arrived in the Colony some few 

 years before them in the Tarn O'Shanter in 1836, and taken tip 

 country at the Eeedbeds. At that time much of the property 

 was covered in a dense mass of reeds and flags, outside of 

 which was a fringe of high dense rushes and luxuriant grasses. 

 This, combined with belts along the river of fine timber, red 

 gum (Eucalyptus rostrata) and sandhills not far off, covered with 

 pines and banksia, and out beyond that open plains and marsh 

 land, made a rich and diversified collecting ground, which has 

 to-day practically passed away owing to the advance of civili- 

 zation. The young Whites must have been naturally fond of 

 nature, and ornithology began to work its charm over the elder 

 brother's (Samuel) mind. Amidst this rich piece of country 

 in its virgin state he had a great field for his abilities and 

 tastes. Labour in those days was at a premium; in fact it 

 could not be had, and the brothers, Samuel and William, were 

 often sent to watch the cattle. This was a difficult job, for 

 the country was covered with high rushes and reeds, and it was 

 necessary for the watchers to climb into a tree or sit upon a 

 stump to get a good view of the country around. During (what 

 would be to some) long hours of watching the two boys be- 

 came expert bird observers, and knew the habits of the birds 

 by heart, for they were being taught from Nature's book. Now 

 an employe of their father's had a great turn for natural his- 

 tory. His chief employment was that of a blacksmith; he 

 could skin and stuff birds, and as can be imagined, the two lads 

 were willing pupils. Whenever a chance offered they were 

 round the blacksmith's shop. About this time the father be- 

 gan to notice the liking for nature developing in the two 

 brothers, and he put a strong check on it, as he considered 

 they wasted too much of their time, so the lads had 

 to carry on their collecting and bird observing on the quiet. 

 They had come into possession of a muzzle loading pistol, and 

 this enabled them to procure more specimens, but the firearm 



