112 
have since searched for it in vain, but I intend making one more final 
effort in tlie same locality, during the. month it was first discovered. 
That fruit if cultivated would create a sensation among our gardeners. 
Next time I shall enlist the assistance of the native blacks. 
On the return journey I made a third effort to obtain a 
shot at a huge crocodile that had his lair in a small patch of blady 
grass at the mouth of a mangrove creek, about a mile above Hickey's 
landing. On a previous occasion Whelan and myself had approached 
this lair from the land side, through dense mangrove and a vile swamp 
with grass 6 feet high. Each time the crocodile was absent. He had 
been seen rej^eatedly by settlers goiug up and down the river, and was 
described as an immense beast about 18 feet long. Jimmy stood and 
gazed in speechless awe at the camping ground of this tremendous 
animal, and the fresh marks of the enormous feet in the soft mud of 
the banks. 
Prom this point, on which he had evidently been camped for 
months, he commanded a clear view up and down the river. On the 
appearance of any danger, he quietly glided into the water, and 
stayed there until it was over. Crocodiles are numerous in the 
E-ussell and Mulgrave, from the salt water far up to the deep fresh 
pools among the ranges. I have seen them in the Mulgrave above 
the Pyramid Plantation, and along the Pussell for about forty miles. 
Bathing in the deep water of either of these rivers is a dangerous 
pastime. Dogs living in the vicinity may be said to carry their lives 
on their tails. The night of the 25th is remembered by a general 
discussion on the big trees of Australia and California. Each was 
under the impression that he had been specially favoured by a sight of 
the tallest tree in the world, until Broadbent informed us that in the 
Cardwell Pange he saw a tree Avhich had fallen across three creeks, 
and after that we all quietly and meekly retired to bed. 
On the 26th of July we returned to the camp on the edge 
of the Mulgrave Plain, where Beman was left in charge. Just 
about sunset Harold went down in the scrub on the edge of the creek 
about 150 yards from the camp to shoot a scrub hen. We heard him 
fire, and then shout loudly and excitedly for assistance. He had shot 
a magnificent cassowary. Pie heard a splash in the creek, and thinking 
it was caused by one of the blackboys returning, he walked towards 
the edge of the bank, and, meeting the cassowary face to face, shot him 
dead at ten yards, with a charge of No. 4 shot from a 20-bore Adams. 
The youngster was mightily proud of that performance. This casso- 
wary weighed 186 lb., the liver 4 lb., and the heart bigger than a sheep's. 
He is now set up at the Brisbane Museum, and may be safely regarded 
as the finest stuffed specimen in Australia. On the 27th Beman left 
for Sydney, deeply thankful to all the nine gods that his first colonial 
experience had left him alive and well. He was a very quiet, civil, 
and obliging young fellow. On the 28th three cassowaries were shot 
by Jimmy, making five fine specimens of this noble bird, Casuarius 
uusfralis, obtained during our stay on Tringilburra Creek. On the 
29th we shifted camp over to the police paddock on the Mulgrave, 
where Messrs. Bailey and Broadbent sta,yed collecting for ten days. On 
the 2nd of August I crossed the river to the foot of the Walsh Pyramid 
(Charroogin) accompanied by Jimmy, whom I sent away around the 
base of the mountain in search of red wallabies. The weather was 
cloudy and showery. Deciding to ascend the mountain I took off all 
