The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-10
QUEENS AND.
A Country for a White Man to Stay Al
From.

Mr.. Finch-Hatton has written II
on Queensland. Much as he ha.
say in its praise, it hardly strikes |,
as an eligible place for the white ma
This is his description of Mackay, to
first place he landed at: n.
"Of all horrible places to live in, II
worst is a small coast town in Queen
land They are all alike. There is NJ \
q green thing to be seen anywhere
Dust is everywhere, inches deep in Il.
streets that are not macadamized; an
thus bushes, houses, and everythi1s.
were powdered over with it. The n
ulation was under 1000, but l couh
seventeen public houses in the pN
The cane-iields around he desc
as beautiful, and the River Pioneer as
lovely. But it is full of alligators,
which run to nineteen feet long. The
scrub, as the forests of Queensland are
called, is beautiful; but 1.-The monotony
of the endless timber is appalling, and
it is easy to realize the terrible madness
that so often comes over those who get
lost in the bush. The only change is
from white gum-trees on the flats to
black iron-barks on the ridges, and
one ridge and one fiat is SO
like another to an inexperienced
eve that it seems incredible that
any one can ever find the way about.
The author went to his brothers cattle
station, and was put into a ''slab hut, -
Through the spaces of which. as he IL
in bed, he commanded a fine view
tie; sgfr 5d.a. 9fg eoqp tsS s,1iile. ~ &
rained five little streamlets of waterr
scended on his bed" On going tbeA
he found a huge snake coiled upm it,
which turned out. luckily, to be tame
one belonging to his brothers partner.
But in Queensland there are five
deadly kinds, one eight or nine feet
long; but but by far the worst is the
death adder 1t has this peculiarly; it
dees not attempt to move out of any
body's way, but lies quite still unit it is
touched, when it fastens with a sDring
upon its victim. l have never Known
a observation-disclosures instance of ncov-
cry from it, " except in the case q one
Underwood who used to let any snake
bite him, and by means of an amidote
never suffered harm. The Victorian
Government fooishly refused to give
him 100000 for his secret, and IS he
one day let snake bite him when he
was drunk and had forgotten where he
had put his antidote, this all-vahable
secret died with him. Then there
are other cheerful beasts. "A small
black spider, about the size of a large
wit brill IL
its back, frequently takes up its abode
in an inhabited house, and does not
want to be provoked before attacking.
Death is by no means an I'M
common result, but more frequently
the victim becomes hopelessly insane
or is paralyzed.' Mr. meditation
was himself bitten. He took up the
piece of his leg where the bite was be-
tween the finger and thumb, and cut it
clean out. Il always had soma am
monia with me, and | rubbed a quanti-
ty of it in. Certainly not more than
ten seconds elapsed between the time l
was bitten and when cut the piece out.
But the pain was intense for days, the
whole leg Swelled and became soft, like
dough. The place itself became run
ming sore, which did not heal
for four months afterwards" And
there are centipedes and scof-,
pions, and 1.-The real pests of
the BUSH" worse than mosquitoes, the
flies. Then there are the blacks. who,
''even when half-tame in the settled dis
tricts, can not resist the temptation of
spearing the traveller" to say nothing
of lifting the cattle. Mr. Finch-Hat-
toms partner was digging one day in
the garden. Suddenly he became aware
that half dozen of these ingalls, as
they are called, were creeping at him
through the long grass, armed with
spears and boomerangs. He waited
until they got about fifty yards off, and
then, as they stood up ready to sling
their spears at him, he suddenly pointed
his spade at them like gun. Two war
riors fell flat down on the spot from
sheer fright, upsetting third who was
just about starting to flee. Two of
the remaining then tried to run
away SO fast that they hardly made
any progress at all, and the last
one, while scattering a Parthian
glance at the object of terror in his
rear. ran with awful violence against a
gigantic gum-tree. - Chicago Tribune.