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



Next morning when daylight broke it was found the yacht 

 was brought up near the powder magazine under the hill. The 

 tradespeople brought off fresh stores, and Samuel White went 

 on shore to see the customs, pay for pilot, etc. In hisinotes 

 Samuel White says "I was not interested in the (town, where 

 I saw a number of Chinamen, and was told they made good 

 citizens, and that I could procure Chinese labour for 20/ per 

 month. Although 1 wanted six more men I did not venture to 

 fill up with Chinamen, for I wanted collectors, and according 

 to my experience of the mongolian race they are too meek and 

 averse to shedding blood to make good collectors, and seem 

 to lack the savage pleasure of hunting and taking life which 

 is so strongly shown in the "Britisher." The country about 

 Cook Town at the time was hilly, forest country, in places 

 coarse grass was growing, and many of the deep gullies fur- 

 ther inland were fillea with dense dark scrub. The country 

 along the sealine improved as one proceeded to Trinity Bay. 

 The hills were clothed in dense green vegetation. The harbour 

 of Cook Town is well situated when once a vessel is over the 

 bar, but here the water shoals to one fathom at low water 

 tide, but at high-water there is about 20 ft. on it. Where the 

 yacht lay at anchor there were two fathoms over mud. Tele- 

 grams having been sent, and answers received, Samuel White 

 went on board, and next morning about 6.30 the Elsea was 

 under 'iweigh again, some delay having been caused through 

 fouling the moorings when the anchor was heaved. The pilot 

 came on board, and with a strong breeze the yacht was soon 

 out of his jurisdiction. After weathering Cape Beadford, 

 the vessel was eased off, and at 2 p.m. had passed Lizard Is- 

 land and stood over to the Howick Croup. The wind was 

 very fresh from S. of E., and No. 3 Island of the Howick Group 

 was reached half an hour before sunset; the anchor was drop- 

 ped in seven fathoms of water when the vessel lav moderately 

 still. 



Samuel White had a boat lowered, and accompanied by 

 Messrs. Cockerell and Andrews, landed on the N.W. end of 

 the island, which lies low and sandy. There was little 'to col- 

 lect, and by dark the two collectors had not secured a thing, 

 while their chief had secured half a dozen honey eaters. They 

 were mostly PUlotis versicolor. They were procured in a 

 broad leaved bush which was growing very thickly on the ex- 

 treme N.W. end of the island. Next day, the 12th, sail was 

 again made at an early hour, but the wind was not so good as 



