CHAPTER XXVI

CHAPTER XXVIYalgooâ€”A Cold Welcomeâ€”Native Shepherdsâ€”Geraldtonâ€”Pearlsâ€”The Abrolhosâ€”Dutch Navigatorsâ€”Aboriginesâ€”Finis.

Yalgooâ€”A Cold Welcomeâ€”Native Shepherdsâ€”Geraldtonâ€”Pearlsâ€”The Abrolhosâ€”Dutch Navigatorsâ€”Aboriginesâ€”Finis.

I reached the uninteresting township of Yalgoo at 2 oâ€™clock, very cold, tired and hungry. I stepped from the train with my portmanteau and sallied out of the station to look for a vehicle to take me to the hotel to which I had been recommended; but, alas! there was no sign of a conveyance. A drearier-looking place I never saw. So disheartened did I feel that I returned and got back into the railway carriage again, intending to resume the journey and go on to Geraldton; but on looking out of the now open window I saw so many nice and jolly-faced people on the platform that I thought it might not be so bad a place after all, so I took a second thought and got out of the carriage once more. Approaching the gate I discovered a small boy in charge of a cart, on which I placed my belongings, and told him to take them to the Emerald Hotel, I walking behind. When we arrived there he put out my luggage and left me. Not a soul was about the hotel or the street. I felt like a sailor in a desert. I essayed to reconnoitre the place, and went in and out of several rooms, with no result. I then tried the kitchen, and found every one out there also, except the fire, which luckily was in, so I took possession and sat down on a box to warm myself. Looking out of the window, I saw two enormous emus stalking about and peering into everything. I was afterwards told that they are the most curious birds in existence, and their prying ways often cause them to be taken captive. Presently the cook turned up; strange to say, a woman cook, as most cooks in these parts are Japanese men.I asked her for some dinner; she said she had none in the hotel, it was all at the railway station. I may as well here explain that the proprietor of the hotel also caters for the railway station, and his staff goes down there to attend to the train passengers at the dinner-hour, everybody who requires dinner being supposed to get it there. The whole male population of Yalgoo goes to see the train come in; it is the event of the day. However, the cook made me a nice cup of tea and some hot toast, and boiled some fresh eggs, after partaking of which I felt myself again. Taking a look out of the front door I saw the street just as deserted as ever, so, going into a bedroom, I took a siesta until 4 oâ€™clock, when sounds about the neighbourhood told me that the townsfolk had returned from the railway station. I accordingly went forth to make their acquaintance, and having done so I am able to speak of them in the warmest terms.

The township being such a barren-looking place I was surprised, on driving around, to find very beautiful environs. The rains had brought up millions of wild flowers of all colours, and the grass and trees were exceptionally green. There are a great many sheep stations in this district, and the mines are a considerable distance away, so I did not go to them. The exception was the Emerald Mine, which is almost in the township, and which has returned its owners a large fortune. Fifteen thousand pounds worth of gold was dollied out of it before it was sold to an English company, who then erected machinery and crushed large quantities of rich ore with big results. It was on this spot that Yalgooâ€™s first find was made by a native shepherd and his lubra, who told some prospectors that they knew of a quartz-heap with bright stuff on it. You may be sure the prospectors lost no time in finding the heap; other finds followed, and the Yalgoo rush commenced. Aboriginal shepherds are almost the only ones to be had in the West, and they are not very reliable; yet if any animal is lost they can always find it; they are wonderful trackers, and can follow up the track of anythingalive; this power has been cultivated in them by hunting for food from infancy.

MARINE TERRACE, GERALDTON

The next day I left Yalgoo, longing ardently for a breath of sea air once more. After a journey of eight hours in the train I arrived at Geraldton, on the shores of Champion Bay; the town nearest the point at which the history of the colony really commences. It is a shipping port for a large agricultural and pastoral country, although as yet only 2000 acres are under cultivation. I went for many beautiful drives, and one night to a â€œsocialâ€ given by the footballers, to which I was invited; but as I did not dance, and contented myself with being a â€œwallflower,â€ my participation in the enjoyment was not very keen; I consequently returned early to my comfortable parlour at the Club Hotel. The new public buildings here are quite an ornament to the town, and the people may well be proud of them. There are also some other fine buildings and many nice shops. Altogether Geraldton is a very jolly place in which to spend a holiday. It can be reached from Perth by boat instead of the long train journey of 297 miles, for the steamers going to the far north of Western Australia and Singapore every fortnight always call; there are also several coasting-boats. The extensive and rich goldfields of the Murchison make Geraldton a very important place, and in course of time, when the North is more known and visited, it will, no doubt, become one of the most important towns in Western Australia.

Some beautiful pearls were shown me by a trader from Sharks Bay in the North-west district of Western Australia, and I wished I were a queen who could order a necklace of them. As it was I had to content myself with one for a ring. They were really exquisite gems, especially three pink ones. The trader also had two black ones, which are rare and very valuable, but I prefer those of delicate hue.

Pearls to the value of Â£285,000 and pearl shell valued at Â£1,000,000 have been raised from the North West Fisheries during the last ten years. Nearly two hundred luggers, with over a thousand Malay, Japanese, Chinese, and Manilla men,with whites for officers, are engaged in the pearl industry. For diving, natives are chiefly employed, they being such wonderful swimmers and divers. Occasionally dissensions take place between these mixed people and their masters. Not long ago a terrible tragedy occurred on a pearling vessel, theEthel, and the captain, his son, and the first mate were cruelly murdered by some of the Manilla and Malay crew. The offenders escaped at the time, but were afterwards captured (chiefly by the instrumentality of a poor Chinese cook, who was loyal), and have since paid the penalty of their terrible crime.

There is a pretty river near this place, called the Chapman, which falls into Champion Bay. Garnets are found in the sand near the mouth of it, and you may be sure that any one who visits the place spends some time looking for the jewels. I was no exception to the rule, and found a few small ones, but until they are polished they are not very beautiful.

The orange groves are exquisite, and produce quantities of splendid oranges. Mr. Jupp, one of the growers, had just sent into Geraldton some immense loads, the whole of his golden crop. The rainfall having been exceptional in the previous season, the country was bright with grass and flowers. It seemed quite a pity the fine grass should not be feeding more cattle.

The view from the top of the lighthouse, where we stopped on the way back from a river picnic, is very grand. The rocky Abrolhos, 35 miles away, with the surrounding agricultural country, Champion Bay, and, farther out still, the grand rolling Indian Ocean, make up a most impressive scene. The lighthouse has a revolving white light, brilliantly flashing every 40 seconds, and visible for 16 miles; two other lights, lower down, showing red rays, visible from the north and south. Another day I drove to Greenough Flats, a level and fertile plain, with many fine crops, principally wheat, under cultivation. These flats were, no doubt, in former days vast lagoons, which accounts for the unlimited supply of good underground water. The grass is very nutritious, and the sheep and cattlelooked fat. At Minchooka, Mr. Redheadâ€™s station, the stock was looking exceptionally well, and a fine crop of wheat returned 26 bushels per acre from 11 acres. Mr. T. McGuiness, of Greenough Back Flats, lately had a peculiar experience while cleaning out his well, which is 96 feet deep, and was dry. In the hope of obtaining a fresh supply, Mr. McGuiness sank the well 13 feet deeper, and, when driving down his bar, struck water, which spouted up so quickly and with such a rush that he had hardly time to escape drowning; the water rose 30 feet in a very short space of time.

The Greenough river runs between the flats, and there is a nice little township, with public offices, hotels, churches, and many comfortable dwelling-houses; there are also several large farms in the district, which is a magnificent grain-producing one.

Newmarracarra Station, 20 miles from Geraldton, was formerly the property of Mr. Maitland Browne, the resident magistrate, who at one time used his land exclusively for horse-breeding. Thirty thousand acres of the station are now utilised for sheep-farming at great profit, there are 24,000 sheep on the run in splendid condition, as well as many beautiful high-bred cattle. Mr. McKenzie Grant, the owner, manages this station himself, and has spent Â£55,000 on improvements. A grand water supply comes from the Greenough river and also from twelve springs in different parts of the land, which is very picturesque, with its hills and rich flats, covered with waving grass, and, in some spots, is brilliant with wild flowers. All kinds of native trees add beauty to the scene.

Mr. Broadhurst, to whom I am indebted for all the information relating to the Abrolhos, 35 miles from the mainland, gave me, as a great favour, a copper coin from theBatavia, wrecked there in 1629, also a part of a pair of scissors that have nearly lost their form, and other relics of the past. A very interesting curiosity is a pair of large silver buttons with links, in splendid preservation and very slightly tarnished. The figures on these buttons represent Joseph and Potipharâ€™swife. The Abrolhos are the abode of countless millions of birds, principally the noddy and sooty tern, which in the breeding season congregate there in such numbers that the sky is quite obscured by their flight, and everything is in almost total darkness. The group of islands have been leased from the Government since 1883 by Messrs. Broadhurst and McNeill, who command a very large trade in guano. The main stations in the group are Rat, Pelsart, and Gun Islands, on each of which there are commodious managersâ€™ quarters and laboratory, besides kitchen and quarters for 48 hands. No Australian should neglect to see the relics of the wrecks on the Abrolhos that are in the Perth Museum. Mr. Broadhurst showed me a book, printed in the Dutch language, that he accidentally came across on a London bookstall in 1895, being then on a tour and engaged in collecting information concerning early Australia. The book bore the date of 1647, and has since been translated into English by Mr. Siebenhaur, a Dutch gentleman in Perth, and proved to be, strange to say, a complete narrative of the wreck of theBataviaand the massacre of the people, in 1629, at the Abrolhos Islands. TheBataviawas the commodoreâ€™s ship of a fleet of eleven vessels sent from Amsterdam in 1628 to the East Indies in search of treasure and to form a colony on one of the islands. Storms arose, the commodoreâ€™s vessel was separated from the others, and finally got down among the perilous banks of the Abrolhos, where the vessel became a wreck. After much danger, the people, numbering several hundredsâ€”soldiers, sailors, women and childrenâ€”were landed on two of the islands, several trips having to be made between the ship and the shore before this could be effected. Some water and bread was also got ashore, as well as some cases of treasure, jewels, and gold-laced clothing belonging to the Dutch Government that the commodore was anxious to save. The ship shortly afterwards foundered and the hardships of the seafarers commenced. It was found that there was very little fresh water on the island, so the commodore, Pelsart, and several of the men set off in the sloop, which had been saved,to the mainland to look for water for their fellows. After much difficulty six of them succeeded in landing by swimming, the shore being stony and rocky, and great breakers beating violently against the rocks so that it was not safe to take the sloop in too near. They saw smoke rising, and going towards it, saw four dark figures creeping on their hands and knees, who, on the approach of the sailors, leaped to their feet and fled away at full speed. Each carried a stick, no doubt a boomerang. Around the fires were the bones of birds. The savages were naked, and were the first ever seen on Australian soil by white men. The sailors dug holes, trying to find fresh water, but could find very little, and returned to the ship disconsolate. The commodore then, knowing that by returning to the islands he could do no good for his fellow sufferers, determined to return to Batavia for assistance. On arrival there he obtained speedy help from the Government, and provided with all necessaries and a good crew, at once set out again for the Abrolhos to succour the shipwrecked people. On arrival there they saw, close to where they had been wrecked, smoke from several fires, and were much rejoiced, hoping to find all or most of the poor people alive. Having cast anchor, the commodore, taking with him a cask of water, bread and wine, went in his boat to the highest island, but on arrival there found no one, at which he was much astonished. Jumping ashore, they saw a little boat coming round the northern point with four men rowing; one of them jumped ashore and welcomed the commodore, but begged him to return to the ship, as there was a party of miscreants who intended to seize the vessel. He then told the terrible story of the massacre. These miscreants had murdered 120 people on the island, now called Pelsart Island, or â€œBataviaâ€™s Churchyard.â€ The commodore then sorrowfully returned to the ship. The man who told the commodore all this was named Webbey Hayes, and he with forty others had tried their best to save their comrades, and were then on what they called Long Island. The commodore took some boats and men and brought them away, arming them with muskets. With these heproceeded to Bataviaâ€™s Churchyard and captured the mutineers. They found them all dressed in the beautiful clothes trimmed with gold lace belonging to the Government, and jewels were scattered about in all directions. The mutineers were divested of their gay clothes, put in irons and conveyed to Seal Island, to remain there till they should be tried, which was afterwards done, and they were then executed for their crimes. This is a very short and crude synopsis of the interesting translation of the Dutch book of which I have spoken, but may serve to give some idea of the Abrolhos. The many curios of this time that are spoken of on page 51 are well worth seeing. Previous to this, in 1540, Portuguese vessels had been driven on to the coasts of the Great South Land, as it was called. Houtmann, a Dutchman who had served with the Portuguese, had sighted the cluster of rocky islets and called them Abrolhos, a contraction of the Portuguese â€œAbro vos olhosâ€ (â€œKeep your eyes openâ€). In far-back ages Chinese junks used to sail down to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the natives of that part of Australia are now said to have a distinctly Mongolian cast of countenance. Marco Polo, at the close of the thirteenth century, alluded to the Great South Land. Allusions to this unknown land are also met with in writings dating as far back as Alexander the Great in the fourth century; Strabo, Pliny and Ptolemy alsomake mention of a mysterious territory, which was probably the continent of Australia. Dampier is said to have been the first Englishman to land on the coast of Western Australia, which was then, in the reign of William III., called New Holland. His report was so unfavourable, that Australia was left to itself again until 1770, when Captain Cook landed at Botany Bay, New South Wales, and not until 60 years afterwards was Western Australia found to be suitable for colonising. In 1829 the first governor, Captain (afterwards Sir James) Stirling, with his family and over 60 settlers, arrived at the Swan River and founded the settlement which is now the city of Perth; two years previous to this, Captain Fremantle had hoisted the British flag at the entrance of the river, and the port of Fremantle is named after him.

Four generations of the Western Australian Native

For some time past I have been collecting all the facts of interest that I could concerning the natives of Australia, and have gathered a really fine collection of the native weapons, boomerangs, nulla-nullas, spears, waddies, womerahs, shields, &c. There are a good many aborigines about Geraldton at present, but civilisation has made them lazy, and it is not easy to get many of their weapons. Mine have chiefly been given to me by friends who have gone to the trouble of collecting them for years. The blacks are not a very pleasant race, still we ought to have a kindly feeling for the poor creatures, whose chief capacities seem to be hunting, fishing, and tracking. Their own laws, and the way they keep them, are somewhat remarkable, especially those relating to the affinities and the division of the people into families.

There are four tribes or clans amongst the aborigines of Western Australia, namelyâ€”Booranggnoo, Banagher, Kimera, Palgarie. A Booranggnoo man may marry a Banagher woman, their children will be Kimera; a Banagher man may marry a Booranggnoo woman, their children will be Palgarie; a Kimera man may marry a Palgarie woman, their children will be Booranggnoo; a Palgarie man may marry a Kimera woman, their children will be Banagher.

Children take the name of the mother, and intermarriage between the same tribe is not allowed. Polygamy is permitted. A native may have several wives and various families, but each family incurs the responsibilities of the mother, and all such relations become involved in the guilt of any crime; if the offender cannot be reached, any other relative may have to suffer instead. In case of death by violence, the nearest relative of the slayer is found and punished. Homicide in obedience to law is therefore common among them. Their law is blood for blood, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Girls are betrothed when they are young, and may be claimed at any time. A blackfellow must take his lubra (wife) from the clan or tribe which alone is eligible to give a wife to him, otherwise he becomes an outcast. The women are severely punished by the men even for trifling offences. On the death of the husband the wives and children pass to his brother; all property in land is held for hunting and obtaining food. They are very fond of music and dancing, their songs being chiefly extempore. The dances, or corroborees, are adapted to the various circumstances of their livesâ€”marriage, birth, death, war or hunting. It is not usual for the women to take part in these dances, but on rare occasions they do, and they carry a peeled stick tufted at one end, as was the custom of the ancient Bacchantes. Songs are composed by musical natives of the clan, and are soon learnt: every blackfellow knows the songs of his clan, and if one is composed for any special occasion it is soon learned. The food of these natives is very varied and peculiar, one kind being the knomat, the gum of the swamp mimosa. There are also six kinds of kangaroo eaten, two kinds of opossum, twenty-nine sorts of fish, three kinds of turtle, emu, wild turkey, and many kinds of waterfowl; frogs, seven kinds of lizards, four kinds of grubs, twenty-nine roots, seven fungi, four gums, two kinds of manna, four fruits, four nutsâ€”two of the zamia, which are poisonous without proper preparationâ€”the seeds of many plants and the flowers of the banksia. Cannibalism is not common, but has been known in the Northand East. The weapons employed are suited for the chase as well as war. These are the codja or hatchet, the dabba or knife, the meera or throwing-stick, the guicka or spear, the dowark or club, the womerah or digging-stick, and the killy or boomerang, which they throw with great skill. Their skill in hunting is remarkable, weirs are made for fish, stakes driven to intercept the kangaroos at their watering-places, and the fish are commonly speared by day and by torchlight. Their mias, or huts, vary in construction from a light shell made of brushwood to a dome, large enough to contain several persons, of logs covered with clay, and in size according to season and locality. From the Murchison northward, and also in the interior, the natives go naked; but southward, near the coast, the dress is the â€œbooka,â€ a sort of cloak made of kangaroo-skins, that of the men being longer than that of the women, who use bags of skin, coota or boka, and mats of vegetable fibre, for carrying their children and domestic necessaries. They have many ornaments, and work opossum fur with yarn to make girdles for carrying things and bands to twine round the head to stick feathers in. They tattoo their bodies, and during the operation of tattooing, other natives swing round small curved pieces of wood, producing a whirring noise. They cover themselves with wilgey, a sort of red ochre, charcoal, or white clay. They send messages by marked sticks or bomar, the markings being quite intelligible to them, but to us just looking like a number of jagged chips in the sticks. They are not deficient in gratitude, but rather treacherous, although they will offer themselves up for punishment, a thing which very few white men ever do. They are very superstitious; the power of evil is a constant source of terror to them. They have their karakats, boolga-men, or medicine-men, able to inflict as well as cure diseases. They greatly fear an evil spirit, Jingie, and an imaginary monster, Wangul, inhabiting the fresh waters, and chiefly making victims of women. Each family has its kobong, or cognisance, some animal or vegetable for which they have a reverence, and which, therefore, is not used as food by the familywho adopt it. Some of the domestic and personal habits of the natives resemble those inculcated by the laws of Moses. Their social intercourse is regulated by very strict and ceremonious customs. There are forms of meeting, also forms of parting. Mrs. Canfield, who had charge of the school at Amesfield, Albany, especially reports their fondness for music. One girl, sent to Sydney, played the harmonium in St. Philipâ€™s Church for some time. Several other native scholars have become good housewives; some are now employed as school-teachers. Mrs. Canfield also notes the fondness of the boys for mechanical arts. The native Mission home is near Guildford, and another is in the Vasse district, but there are only about 40 children in each place. The natives around Geraldton are half-civilised; in fact, some speak quite good English. I suppose the heavy fine of Â£50 for supplying drink to natives keeps them sober, as they find it difficult to obtain strong drink, of which they are very fond. They have been known to go to a large heapof bottles, and taking one, empty into it the dregs of all the others, until they get sufficient to take a drink, which they seem to relish exceedingly.

Aborigines with Spears

Native wells or â€œnamma-holesâ€ have saved may a prospector from death by thirst, and men well used to the Bush soon know how to find them. Some of the wells are not more than two feet deep; others go down to ten or twelve feet, and are usually found by rock-holes, or certain trees that are near them. Some wells have a small drive at the bottom, so arranged by the blacks that, when the water gets shallow, it cannot be seen from the top of the hole. The old prospectors have learned from the blacks how to find these oases in the desert, but â€œnew chumsâ€ might pass dozens while parched with thirst and never find one.

After saying good-bye to the numerous friends I had made in Geraldton, I set out for the south in the Perth mail-train, my destination, however, being Dongarra, a little station 24 miles from Geraldton. On alighting there I found that the hotel was some distance off, and I regretted that I had got out of the train at all. However, a good-natured boy with a cart solved my dilemma by saying: â€œGet up, missus, Iâ€™ll give you a lift.â€ I accepted his invitation with much pleasure, and drove on through wonderful grass lands. I thought, as it waved in the wind, that this must be a cultivated crop, but found it to be common wild grass. A great deal of the land about here is rented to the farmers at 10s.per acre, and they have an average yield of 16 to 25 bushels of wheat and 30 bushels of barley. Wheat can be grown at a large profit, as the cost of growing it is not more than 4d.a bushel, and the timber being light in the district, the expense of clearing the land is small.

There are a number of farms about Dongarra, which is one of the prettiest little country places I have seen in the colony. The township is situated near the mouth of the Irwin river, and so there is no lack of water. There is a small and safe harbour at Dongarra, formed by a reef at the riverâ€™s mouth, which is the outlet to the valley of the river. There are many early settlersliving here. The following notice that was fastened on a tree I thought very comical: â€œIf any man or womanâ€™s cows or horses get into this paddock, his or her tail will be forthwith cut off, with no respect to persons.â€ This is on a par with a letter written by a justice of the peace in one of the places that shall be nameless:â€”

â€œTo J. murphy: thars 5 kows of yourse runnin in mi paddock and if they aint tuk out be Frida nite ime goin to sit the lor agen yer; ime on the binch and ile make it warm for yer.â€

The little hotel at Dongarra proved very comfortable, and next morning I resumed my journey in the train, which took all day. In the afternoon we stopped for awhile at a place called Watheroo. I gathered a pretty bunch of wild flowers while waiting; some red ones especially took my fancy. They smelt very sweet, something like honeysuckle. I found that they were of the â€œverticordiaâ€ species, and that they grow in great profusion near the Irwin river. In the evening, at seven oâ€™clock, I left the train at Gingin, for I wanted to see some of the famous orange and lemon groves there. After quite a pastoral supper at the little inn where I put up I retired early, feeling somewhat fatigued after my long journey in the slow train. In the morning I set out to see some of the groves. The forest scenery through which I passed looked particularly grand after the monotony of the goldfields, and the beautiful orange groves further enhanced the scene. I have seen oranges growing in various parts, but the fruit hanging here in golden clusters was the finest I had seen in Western Australia. In returning I stopped at a large garden, where strawberries and other fruits were growing; some children were picking the ripe fruit, which looked so tempting that I went to the door of the little homestead and asked whether I could buy some. â€œOh, certainly, and cream, too,â€ replied the mother of the children, who had now come in with their spoils from the garden. After I had finished my unexpected treat, the mother put on her big white sun-bonnet (the usual head-covering in country parts),and, with the children following, showed me all over her selection and farm (which was a very fine one), and, with true Australian hospitality, pressed on me many gifts of fruit and flowers. There are about 350 people in the district of Gingin, mostly gardeners and graziers; all kinds of cereals are grown, as well as the fruits I have mentioned, and grapes of the finest quality are produced. Fat cattle and horses are also raised for export; a splendid clear stream of water runs near the township; sportsmen can have good shooting, for kangaroo; wallaby and wild duck are abundant in the vicinity of this pretty little place, which is 50 miles from Perth.

FREMANTLE

In the morning I took the train for Perth and Fremantle, and on arrival at the Perth railway station there, waiting for me, were my own horse and Ralli car. Didnâ€™t we spin along through the park? I thought of the Mulga scrub and red dust â€œout backâ€; here the roads were red, but â€œwith a difference,â€ and the grass and the trees delightfully fresh and green; surely the water never looked so sparkling. In and out through the trees along the winding road we drove, past the little villas, with their sweet gardens, up the hill, around the bend to the dearest spot on earth, â€œHome, sweet home.â€ The house and verandah were almost hidden by the glossy green leaves of the â€œCanadiaâ€ and passion vines; through the lattice of the fern-houses peeped the delicate pink blossoms of the tall ivy-geranium twined with the ever-flowering purple runner. The gate-porch and garden fence were embroidered from end to end with blue and green. Blue sea beyond, blue sky above. The gate was open, and thus my journey of two thousand miles came to an end. I hope that my record of it may help the reader to gain an idea of Western Australia.

Our hands are outstretched to our brothers and sisters across the sea. We want them to come and workwithus. Energy and courage are the best cards to bring out to this big land. Should they wish to see the country for themselves, as I have done, I trust that my efforts will help to make their tour as easy as possible.

Like all new countries, it has its rough uncultivated tracts, but I have also tried to show that it has its â€œmeadow sweetâ€ as well. Hundreds of thousands of acres of the soil are waiting to be tilled by strong willing hands and to yield richly of its fruits, while underneath the earth is â€œgolden,â€ â€œgolden,â€ overhead the glorious sun is shining, and the Austral sky is blue.

MAY VIVIENNE

FOOTNOTES[1]These are names given to each other by the Australian-born people of the then separated colonies.[2]For most of these particulars of the early days of the goldfields I am indebted to Mr. Calvertâ€™s book, â€œThe Coolgardie Goldfield,â€ 1894.[3]A stope is the part of the workings in a mine between the levels.[4]The levels are the drives, or excavations, at different depths in a mine.[5]Since the above was written the mine has been sunk over 100 feet, and Mr. Merton has now gold valued at over a hundred thousand pounds.[6]The nut of the tree that, when polished, makes pretty ornaments.

FOOTNOTES

[1]These are names given to each other by the Australian-born people of the then separated colonies.

[2]For most of these particulars of the early days of the goldfields I am indebted to Mr. Calvertâ€™s book, â€œThe Coolgardie Goldfield,â€ 1894.

[3]A stope is the part of the workings in a mine between the levels.

[4]The levels are the drives, or excavations, at different depths in a mine.

[5]Since the above was written the mine has been sunk over 100 feet, and Mr. Merton has now gold valued at over a hundred thousand pounds.

[6]The nut of the tree that, when polished, makes pretty ornaments.

Printed byBallantyne, Hanson & Co.London & Edinburgh

The Golden Butterfly

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