'4' ROCKHAMPTON chap. 
^^(191 with his. innumerable questions and insatiable 
desire for information, and, best of all, two bright un- 
affected Australian girls, whose hospitable father has 
already asked me to break my journey at their station. 
But, ** Not so quick," I hear you say ; "^ I left you last 
in Brisbane, planning a trip to Thursday Island." Very 
well, I will begin at the beginning. My month's visit to 
Mr. Casey's station at Normanby had made ''such a man 
of me " that I was ready for anything and everything, 
and when at last you managed reluctantly to say " yes," 
and pretended you meant it, I was more than content. 
We left Brisbane on the 3rd, after having spent a very 
pleasant ten days there, as usual turning two days into 
one. Our trip in the mountains to Towoomba, the 
sanatorium of the town, gave us enough cool air to 
double our energies. Eric and I made another trip 
to One Tree Hill, where he hunted butterflies and I 
flowers. There is a magnificent panoramic view from 
the top, of the whole town and its surroundings. To 
the south lies the great dividing range between Queens- 
land and New South Wales, and far away in blue 
misty distance one can see the outline of Moreton Bay, 
and the long reaches of the river winding its way to 
the sea. Another excursion which we made was to 
the Enoggera Reservoir, ten miles from the town, a 
beautiful drive the whole way. The lake itself is a 
very picturesque one, with surroundings of semi-tropical 
vegetation ; Eric, boy-like, managed to tumble in ; he 
rather enjoyed the fun of a ducking, and my dis- 
comfiture in fearing he might be drowned. 
Last, but not least, I must not forget to give you a 
description of the exciting kangaroo -hunt that was 
arranged for me one day before I left Brisbane. We 
went by train the night before to Mr. 's station, 
and we were a goodly muster as we all drew up at the 
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