318 By Stream and Sea. 



Unfortunately, large vessels cannot call at the various 

 ports that are opening up on the Queensland coast, and 

 we have to communicate with shore by small paddle-wheel 

 boats, some of which would be highly successful in an ex- 

 hibition of monstrosities of naval architecture. A gentleman 

 comes aboard from Townsville — the outlet for a fine group 

 of gold fields — and he tells us in confidence that Townsville 

 is the finest town in Queensland. A gentleman from Bowen 

 sings precisely the same song of his town. Mentioning these 

 things to a Rockhamptonian later on, he assures me Bowen 

 is a village, and Townsville a mere collection of shanties ; 

 but that Rockhampton really ought to be the metropolis 

 of the colony, and will be when the round pegs are 

 inserted in round holes, etc., etc. My friend's piece de 

 resistance was the argument that' Rockhampton boasted 

 two daily newspapers; ergo, it must be a place of con- 

 sideration. From whatever point he started, he came 

 back naturally to the daily newspapers. He told me of 

 the Fitzroy, and of many creeks with singular names, of 

 schools of arts, hospitals, and churches, but sooner or later 

 he wound up with his daily newspapers. Even when he 

 appalled my timid nerves with his stories of the fearful 

 alligators which abound in the Fitzroy it was the same ; 

 it was just as I expected — copies of The Rockhampton Bulletin 

 and Argus were found amongst the cartload of marine stores 

 taken from one saurian stomach. Of course when a Mary- 

 borough patriot appeared, I innocently asked him how far 

 behind the other ports Maryborough was, and of course I at 

 once found that Rockhampton, Bowen, and the rest were 

 simple frauds ; the real Queensland port was Maryborough. . 



Moreton Bay at last ! The white sand of Moreton and 

 the woods of Stradbroke are before us as the chain cable 

 gallops through the hawsehole, and the Government steamer 



