The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-12-19
QUEENSLAND.
A Country for . White Man to Stay Away
From.

A Country for q White Man to Stay Away
Mr.. Finch-Hatton has written a book
on Queensland. Much as he has to
say in its praise, it hardly strikes one
as an eligible place for the white man.
This is his description of Mackay, the
first place he landed at:
''Of all horrible places to live in, the
worst is small coast town in Queens
land. They are all alike. There is not
a green thing to be seen anywhere.
Dust is everywhere. inches deep in the
streets that are not macadamized; and
thus bushes, houses. and everything
were powdered over with it. The pop
ulation was under 1000, but counted
seventeen public houses in the place.
The cane-fields around he describes
as beautiful. and the River Pioneer a.
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 "the monotony
of the endless timber is appalling. anG
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 flat 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 lay
In bed, he commanded a fine view of
the surrounding country, while when it
rained five little streamlets of water de.
scended on his bed" On going to bed
he found huge snake coiled up in 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 popularity; it
dees not attempt to move out of any,
bOdy's way, but lies quite still until it is
touched, when it fastens with a spring
upon its victim. l have never known
a observation-disclosures instance of recov-
cry from it." except in the case of one
Underwood. who used to let any snake
bite him, and by means of an antidote
never suffered harm. The Victorian
Government foolishly refused to give
him fl0.00 for his secret. and as he
one day let snake bite him when he
was drunk and had forgotten where he
had put his antidote, this all-valuable
secret died with him. Then there
are other cheerful beasts. "A small
black spider, about the size of large
pea. with a brilliant crimson mark upon
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 un.
common result, but more frequently
the victim becomes hopelessly insane
or is paralyzed. Mr.. Finch Hatton
was himself bitten. He took up the
piece of his leg where the bite was be.
tween the finger and thumb, and cut il
clean out. Il always had soma am
monia with me. and / rubbed quaint.
ty of it in. Certainly not more than
ten seconds elapsed between the time
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 scor
pions, and 1.-The real pests o.
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 awar,
that half dozen of these ingalls, az
they are called. were creeping at hin
through the long grass. armed with
spears and boomerangs. He waited
until they got about fifty yards of, and
then. as they stood up ready to slins
their spears at him. he suddenly pointed
his spade at them like gun. Two war
riors fell fiat down on the spot from
sheer fright, upsetting third who wa!
just about starting to flee. Two o
the remaining then tried to run
away so fast that they hardly made
any progress at all, and the las
one. while scattering Parthial
glance at the object of terror in hi
rear. ran with awful violence against
gigantic gum-tfee. Chicago Tribune
| LAKE SAILORS.