The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-05
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
N QUEENSLAND

In her hook. "a Flower Hunter in
Queensland and New Zealand" Mrs
Rowan gives many interesting dc
scrfpffons of the parts she explored.
including the ascent of the Macmil-
Ian mountain. Following for some
distance through the jungle a rocky
track made, by pack horses and mules
from the mines, we emerged into the
OPEN where the grass was green and
smooth looking. but on closer inspec-
ton We found II was so high as to ba
over our heads: completely hidden
underneath were hig rocks over which
we slipped and fell every minute. 1t
was indeed very hard work. and we
stopped good many times to admire
the view. The native women. who are
like kangaroos on their feet, enjoyed
our discontinue, and thought IT
great fun each time we fell. Past this
we again came into the scrub. where
the real climbing commenced. and
where every few yards we were
caught in tangled masses of creepers
and vines which throw their arms
from tree to tree. Our gentlemen
guides had to cut the way before us
as we went along. The luxuriant
vegetation was dense and smothered:
overhead tall palms stretched their
leaves heavenward through it all. Far
up In the branches. well out OF reach.
we saw rare and lovely white orchid.
In these northern tropical wilds the
flowers grow high, where they can
catch the sunlight above, that fringes
the edge of the jungle.
1T is tantalizing to see the ground
strewn with fallen blossoms and not
to know which leaf owns ~them: while
ON the opposite side, in West Austria
LA. il Is low on the ground that We
see the overgrown gar d n. The
dreary sand plains which in winter
are desolate and withered. are then
one blaze of color with flowers of
every form and hue. some like feath-
ers, others deep-fringed. binding to
paint; wonderful shades of hibiscus.
patches of crimson desert pea, with
here and there white variety: others
again smore like insects. bee and but
terfy, ground orchids. black Anigozan-
thos or kangaroo's foot, with It's FIVE
sooty fingers lined with lemon color
the bright green variety with its scar
let ealyx; pink, yellow. white and
crimson vcrticordias; sweet-scented
veronicas and heaths-hut their name
is legion. and IL l wander of to end
less coloring I shall never get to the
top of the mountain and you will never
hear the end of that climb. 80 we will
go back to the palms again, Lycopo-
diums were trailing along the ground,
and ferns and MOSES everywhere, with
more right-colored fungi
Here and there through the trees
We caught a glimpse OF the world be-
low us. but we had to hurry on. As
came nearer to the top, thick
clouds kept passing over us and left
us unpieasantly moist. It grew
colder now and the road rougher; in
front of us was deep chasm betwee n
two great howiders of rock. and the
only crossing over IL was by bridge
of matted roots Here we went on all
tours.
"In some places It seemed impossi-
bic to get down. but at last we reached
and the only lookout from the top Of
this mountain. Away below lay
the valley and coast line OF the Bloom
field Thick clouds kept passing over
us. but now and then through the sun
shine we had an uninterrupted sight
Of perhaps one OF the finest views In
all Queensland.
Growing in the ridges Of the rrec-
iptce was pale. pink. waxy, tube
shaped flower, with close. hard, dark.
green leaves We caught here very
large. handsome, gray moth. and both
1t and the new flower ! painted on
my return. On the last part of
our journey through the scrub, ii was
intensely dark: now and then freely
or phosphorescent fungus gave Va
light, which made the biackness after
ward even denser."-Christian Science
Monitor.