98 
COOKTOWN 
CHAP. 
and principal highway to the town. There are tin 
mines on the ranges and good agricultural tracts inland. 
Miss Bauer met me at the wharf at Cooktown at six 
in the morning and, after a rather hurried toilet, I drove 
up to her parents’ pretty cottage to breakfast. Here 
I intended remaining for the next steamer on to Thurs- 
day Island, but the following day a regular crusher of a 
telegram came from there, upsetting all my plans ; and 
yours in answer almost decided me for the moment to 
return ; but, Micawber-like, on second thoughts I decided 
to await events, and after a delightfully quiet fortnight in 
Cooktown, where I was allowed to paint and do just as 
I liked, I planned with the Bauers’ help a trip to the 
Bloomfield River. The difficulty was in getting there, as 
nothing but a small schooner goes, and with the strong 
trade winds on these coasts it sometimes takes five or 
six days to reach it, although it is only thirty miles 
down the coast. A large steamer, under the circum- 
stances, would be bad enough, but nothing short of a 
paradise at the other end would induce me to run such 
a risk as that. However, the gunboats Rapid and 
Lizard have both come in just in the nick of time, 
and I am to go in the latter on her way to Samarai, as 
it will only take her a few miles out of her course. 
Some of my very happiest times and recollections will 
always be associated with this happy little home of the 
Bauers. I came to them an absolute stranger. What 
a welcome they gave me, and how good they have been 
to me ever since ! — always ready to help when I 
needed it, untiring in their efforts to get me flowers, and 
taking the keenest interest in my work. My eyes wore 
out sometimes painting from daylight till dark, for I 
couldn’t keep pace with the flowers that came, and 
while I spent hours with wet bandages on them, Mrs. 
Bauer sat beside me and read aloud. There was nothing 
