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



tile natives, but never daunted be and bis companion 

 were shaping their course for the centre of the con- 

 tinent. One disaster after another befel them, and 

 when north of Lake Eyre the last horse died. That 

 indomitable spirit of the explorer was forced back. The dray, 

 with nearly all the valuable specimens, had to be abandoned 

 in the desert, and the two men set out on the homeward jour- 

 ney on foot. The fearful privations and hardships this jour- 

 ney entailed would fill a book of fiction if told in detail, but it 

 must suffice to say that Samuel White and his faithful ser- 

 vant reached his home at the Reedbeds after months of tramp- 

 ing. This intrepid ornithologist must have had a great con- 

 stitution, for we know that he was on the Murray River again 

 in 1865, this time accompanied by his brother William, when 

 a good many specimens were collected, both birds and insects, 

 the brother taking a keen interest in the study of insect life. 

 In 1867 Samuel White made preparations to go further afield, 

 and entertained the idea of proceeding high up on the Queens- 

 land coast and penetrating to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and 

 •from there down to South Australia. With this object in 

 view, and accompanied by his brother William, he set out in 

 a small boat bound for Sydney. There they changed into a 

 still smaller one called the "Saxone,'" and during their pro- 

 gress up the coast to Brisbane they encountered one of those 

 Aiolent storms that often visit those latitudes, and were 

 nearly wrecked. Reaching Brisbane at las^t they transhipped 

 into another boat called the "Black Prince," a very small and 

 leaky boat she was, not fit to go to sea, for large holes in her 

 hull were stopped up by sacking dipped in tar and nailed over 

 with pieces of packing cases. In this state she sailed up inside 

 the Great Barrier Reef, and when a blow came on the captain - 

 had to seek shelter under one of the numerous islands till it 

 had passed. After a very anxious time they landed at Cleve- 

 land Bay, where Townsville is now situated, but then there 

 were only two habitations and three or four white men, one 

 being a blacksmith who was induced to put together a pair 

 of strong wheels, on which was constructed a body. While 

 this was being done the White brothers were camped on the 

 bank of a reedy creek, and had commenced their work amongst 

 nature. The strange birds to be found in that part of Queens- 

 land interesting them much. At this time the brother, Wil- 

 liam, became ill with scurvy owing to privations and want of 

 proper food, and it affected his feet so badlv that, being 



