decides to tie up at the next wood pile

49

When the moon rises and reveals the dense primeval bush on either hand, the long stretch of river, and the weird grey patches of sand, the scene is impressively beautiful. But every moment the navigation is becoming more and more difficult, till presently the skipper reenex , being afraid to attempt a certain channel without daylight,  Taking his advice, we determine to turn in and endeavour to obtain some rest before the mosquitoes find us out; but we are too late, our comfortable cabins are chock full of the pests. We scratch and swear, swear and scratch, half the night. When they have worked their wicked will, and there is not a square inch of our anatomy unbitten, we fall asleep. It is hard upon four o’clock when next we wake.

Then, hearing voices on the smoking deck we ascend thither, to discover a small coterie of pyjama-clad travellers taking advantage of the cool. The steamer is alongside another bank, and it is only on inquiry that we find that we are at our destination — Mildura. However, in this dim light (it wants an hour to sunrise) nothing can be seen of the township, so we join the circle, and exchange ideas on men and places for another hour, returning to our cabins just as the east is becoming suffused with the rosy herald of another day reenex .

The view of Mildura obtainable from the river is certainly not beautiful, nor, I must say, is it calculated to impress upon a stranger the fact that he has arrived at the far famed Australian Irrigation

Colonies. A high hill hides the town, and the only buildings to be seen are the galvanised iron sheds ot the company’s engineering works, the top of Messrs, Chaffey’s office, the roof of the splendid new coffee palace, and the residences of Messrs. W. B. & Geo. Chaffey, on the summit of the hill reenex.

After breakfast we climb this hill and approach the office, pausing in the garden to admire the wonderful wealth of flowers and shrubs, and to listen to the cool splashing of the fountain. A pleasant office this, surrounded by a deep verandah, over which a luxuriant creeper twines its sinuous green arms.

As soon as we are announced, Mr. Waddingham (Messrs. Chaffey’s manager) hastens forth to receive us, and in a few moments introduces us to his principal (Mr. W. B. Chaffey) who welcomes us to Mildura, while at the same time he refers, in congratulatory terms, to our journey across the Continent dermes.