Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/85

Rh Cooktown was the usual Australian town of a long street of verandahed buildings, most of which seemed public-houses, with much drinking going on. We visited the Chinese part and their gorgeous Joss House, or temple, and were much amused to find enthroned in the place of honour—above what we would call the altar, amidst golden dragons and the like—Randolph Caldecott's coloured hunting sketches from The Graphic! The youthful priest was most proud of them. Sometimes they have "Queenie Wicketoria" so enshrined! The Chinese are certainly quaint people.

As the City of Melbourne had to wait here for the arrival of the China mail-boat, Captain Thompson arranged on my behalf an expedition we had discussed. Some rare plants grew on the top of Mount Cook, and he and I were at one in a desire to secure a specimen for Baron von Mueller. He warned me that we might be in great danger from the natives, who were most troublesome—indeed, two days before this, two white men had been speared to death in sight of Cooktown—but I said I did not mind at all, and that we would risk it. Then it came on a perfect gale, but I begged that we should just go—never mind anything and chance all dangers.

So on the morning of the I5th we started early in a ship's boat, the Captain, Webster the first engineer, Warburton the third officer, two sailors, Norman and Mack, and I forming the party. We had a splendid sail seven or eight miles down the coast to the far side of Mount Cook. There was a terrific sea on, and I thought each huge wave would swamp us, and wondered sometimes if this was not something out of the usual. But no one said anything—couldn't have been heard if they had—and I, being only a land-