1 Jun, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 525 
terminus of the Charleville extension to Cunnamulla, and to have it removed 
to the site of the bore at once (forty miles distant). Heavy rains had fallen 
all over the district, and the Warrego was in a state of high flood. Leaving 
instructions for a horse-team to follow as quickly as possible, I proceeded to 
Wyandra to meet the casing, and crossed the river by a very small and shaky 
punt at Claverton mail change, eleven miles below the township of Wyandra. 
On making inquiries I learned that some opal-diggers had crossed a day or 
two previous on a raft and lost a lot of their rations in doing so. As the 
property entrusted to my charge was too valuable to allow of any risk, I 
decided to buil!d a pontoon, and at once set about it. Mr. H. J. Carter 
supplied a coil of No. 8 wire and the use of a two-horse lorry; Mr. Moody, 
mine host of the Commercial Hotel, supplied (gratis) the use of eight 
Perkins’ hogsheads ; Mr. Murphy, the genial manager for Messrs. McGuigan 
and Co., supplied the use of the timber necessary (also gratis), provided it was 
not cut up too much. The work of construction I entrusted to Mr. A. Fraser, 
blacksmith and wheelwright. From former experience | knew that the 
sustaining power of a 52-gallon hogshead was something like 350 |b., and, not 
wishing to have the loads too heavy or the pontoon too large, I selected six 
out of the eight casks. After carefully driving on the hoops where necessary, 
and fitting the bungs in, these, with the timber selected from Mr. Murphy’s 
stock, were conveyed to Mr. Fraser’s place of business. Keeping in view the 
necessity of cutting as little of the timber as was practicable, the area of the 
deck of the pontoon was 7 feet by 13 feet by 14 inches, and constructed as 
follows :—For each side three casks were placed in line lengthways with an 
interval of 1 foot between them. This made a length of about 11 feet, 
allowing 3 feet to each cask and the interval between. On top of the casks 
(bunghole up) two stringers 4 inches by 3 inches by 18 feet were placed and 
marked at the spots where two pieces of hoop iron to strap each cask to the 
stringers would reach, and the proper interval to hold the bilge of the casks 
also noted. ‘This done, the stringers were placed on a level surface, and the 
holes bored for %-inch bolts to hold the hoop iron when the casks were 
strapped on. The decking, after being placed in position, was retained in its 
place by a combing of 4 inches by 4 inches by 18 feet, which served the 
double purpose of preventing the casing rolling off, and saved nailing 
the decking, as a few bolts at intervals served to clamp the decking between 
the stringers and the combing. Three uprights on either side carried 
a handrail 2 feet 9 inches high. While the work of construction was 
going on I selected a spot about three-quarters of a mile from the town- 
ship for launching the pontoon, and with suitable approaches on either 
side. First, a length of No. 8 wire was made fast to two trees, one on 
either bank in a somewhat oblique direction, so that the thrust of the current 
(seven miles an hour) should assist in taking the loaded pontoon over the 
distanee (about 160 feet). About noon the following day everything was 
ready and conveyed to the spot. Attracted by the novelty, there were many 
bystanders, who gave most useful assistance. ‘I'wo strong sliplinks were 
placed on the overhead wire to act as messengers, and made fast by two 
-. 10-foot lengths of wire to the up-current side of the pontoon. A length of 
wire was also placed fore-and-aft to act as a painter for pulling backwards 
and forwards. A buggy and five passengers were first of all taken over to 
try matters, and for the rest of the afternoon many took the opportunity 
of crossing over and swimming their horses alongside. A- long-continued 
whistle in the distance announced the arrival of the train from Brisbane, 
and on repairing to the station I found the easing had arrived. At 8 p.m. 
the carrier from the bore reported himself, having found out the pontoon 
and crossed by it. Early next morning the casing was carried to the river 
bank, and with a horse on either bank to pull the pontoon backwards and 
forwards everything went off without a hitch. The bystanders were again 
numerous, and were the means of getting the casing loaded on the wagon, 
as well as pontooned across the Warrego. Mr. Jackson, police magistrate 
