fate of their unhappy brethren. I may also
here mention, for the information of such of my readers as may not have
read the preceding portions of the narrative, that Cardwell is the name
of a small township situated on the shores of Rockingham Bay; and that
Townsville is a settlement some hundred miles further south, known also
as Cleveland Bay.

HOW WE EXPLORED GOULD AND GARDEN ISLANDS.

We were all much pleased at a piece of intelligence brought up by the
'Daylight', to the effect that a party of volunteers had been assembled
at Cleveland Bay, and intended coming up in a small steamer to the
south end of Hinchinbrook, to assist in the search for the missing
crew. As it would be of the utmost importance that both parties should
co-operate, I sent my boat down to the mouth of the channel, with a
note to the leader of the expedition announcing our intention of
landing on the north end of the island and working towards the centre;
and requesting them to scour their end, and then push northward, when
we should most probably meet in the middle of the island. The boat had
orders to wait at the bar until the arrival of the steamer, and then to
return with all speed. In the meanwhile, the 'Daylight' was
discharging her cargo, and we were making preparations for what we well
knew would prove a most arduous undertaking; the sequel will show that
we did not overrate the difficulties before us.

At the risk of being tedious, I must explain to the reader some of the
peculiarities of Hinchinbrook Island. Its length is a little short of
forty miles, and its shape a rude triangle, the apex of which is at the
south, and the north side forming the southern portion of Rockingham
Bay. Now this north side is by no means straight, but is curved out
into two or three bays of considerable extent, and in one of them stand
two islands named Gould and Garden Islands. The latter of these was
our favourite resort for picnics, for the dense foliage afforded good
shade, and, when the tide was low, we were enabled to gather most
delicious oysters from some detached rocks. Gould Island is
considerably larger; but, rising in a pyramid from the sea, and being
covered with loose boulders, it was most tedious climbing. From the
township we could, with our glasses, see canoes constantly passing and
repassing between these two islands; and as the 'Daylight' had a
particularly heavy cargo this trip, and would not be clear for the next
two days,