I
TORRES STRAITS
Thursday Island,
Torres Straits, 1885.
I had returned to Rockhampton, in Queensland, from a visit to Raglan, a cattle station near there, and it suddenly came into my mind that here was an opportunity to carry out a long-wished-for project of visiting Torres Straits and, if possible, New Guinea. No one in Rockhampton could give me any definite information about either place. To make up my mind whether to go or not, I did what was there regarded as an extraordinary thing to do at any time, but especially in such heat—I went for a walk! No one dreams of walking there, you ride or drive always. Nevertheless I went for a walk out to Lake's Creek on the Fitzroy River, where there is a huge “boiling-down” and meat-preserving factory, and also a most excellent vegetable garden kept by Chinese.
On my way back I passed a roadside hostelry where I thought I would try to get some lunch. Its doors opened directly on the road, and on entering and exploring it I could find no one. Even the bar-room was taking care of itself, and I or any one might have helped himself to free
