Search Results
Author: Glauert, Ludwig, 1879-1963; Battye, J. S. (James Sykes), 1871-1954; Maiden, J. H. (Joseph Henry), 1859-1925; Pulleine, Robert Henry, 1869-1935
Call no: A13-73-1-111
Year: 15 January 1918
Archives
Links:
more...
Battye is replying to Dr. Pulleine of 3 North Terrace, Adelaide, S.A. regarding his request for information about ethno-botany and 'bones said to be used by the natives of Western Australia for climbing trees.'
Battye includes information provided by Glauert, the Keeper of Ethnology.
Glauert says the only work he knows regarding ethno-botany is Maiden's "Useful Native plants of Australia."
Glauert has not heard of the emu bone implement.
Instead Glauert makes mention of reports about a double headed axe with a pointed handle for climbing trees.
Pulleine was a phsycian and naturalist. Pulleine developed a consuming interest in botany, anthropology, marine biology, history, entomology and, specifically, arachnology.
He belonged to 18 learned societies, ranging from the American Cactus Society to the Linnean Society of London, and including the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia and the Royal and Anthropological societies of South Australia; he was president of
In his pamphlet, Physiology and Mental Observations on the Australian Aborigines (Adelaide, 1930), he refuted contemporary publications degrading the Aborigine as unintelligent, with crude beliefs and repulsive practices, representing 'the most primitive type of man still existing'....
more...
Author: Woodward, Bernard Henry, 1846-1916
Year: 5 March 1890
PressClippings
more...
MR WOODWARD'S REPORT ON THE FRASER'S & CENTRAL'S MINES.
The Acting Colonial Secretary (Hon O. Burt) has received the following report, dated 18th ult., on the Fraser's and Central's mines.
SIR: This trip was planned, in the first instance, to see if I could render the Fraser's Company any assistance with their crushing, or the production of their amalgam, but as they subsequently decided to send Mr B. H. Woodward, privately, to do this for them, I had therefore nothing to do with it, but as I was unable to travel about, owing to the scarcity of water on the field, I was down on this mine nearly every day, so that I have the honour to hand you, for the information of his Excellency the Administrator, a few remarks on the Fraser's and Central's mines.
The Acting Colonial Secretary (Hon O. Burt) has received the following report, dated 18th ult., on the Fraser's and Central's mines.
SIR: This trip was planned, in the first instance, to see if I could render the Fraser's Company any assistance with their crushing, or the production of their amalgam, but as they subsequently decided to send Mr B. H. Woodward, privately, to do this for them, I had therefore nothing to do with it, but as I was unable to travel about, owing to the scarcity of water on the field, I was down on this mine nearly every day, so that I have the honour to hand you, for the information of his Excellency the Administrator, a few remarks on the Fraser's and Central's mines.
FRASER'S GOLDMINE.
The battery, although a good, strong machine, is of rather an old pattern, which causes a good deal of loss of time in cleaning up, or in changing the screens, which latter, with this machine, is a most complicated affair.
I should have recommended that, in starting a new mine, one of the most modern machines, from one of the large works in one of the great gold-mining colonies, had been selected. The tables are not at all good, the ripples or wells being a great deal larger than required, whilst the copper plates seem, from their behaviour, to be of a bad quality. Brazier's copper is the best, of not less than 3lbs weightt per square foot, as hard-rolled copper-plates never amalgamate properly, and although an apparently well-silvered surface is obtained, it will not stand, but quickly gets spotty and discoloured.
The tables, also, I think, have not sufficient fall; this, however, is difficult to say at present, until worked with a full supply of water. As I am now writing for plans, with measurements of tables that we found to work with a great success, I shall shortly been a position to supply anyone with a copy, so that they can get them made here.
The battery site has been very unfortunately chosen, as, added to the fact that there is no fall to run away the tailings without carrying them on to another company's property, the machine has been placed on the back of the load, i.e., the load is dipping away under it, so that when mining work is carried on at this end of the claim the settlement from the under-mining of the machinery may cause serious trouble. I mention this more for the benefit of others who are about to erect machinery, as this company will probably decide to change the site when they add to the plant. The shaft, to, has been sunk on the cap of the load, instead of to the W., in which direction the load is dipping. This necessitates so much driving, as the load gets further and further from the shaft every foot it is sunk, but as this can be considered little more than a prospecting shaft it is not of much consequence. The water supply is bad, but this can be greatly improved by driving at the bottom of the water-shaft, which would be of great advantage, as the water that is now used, after passing over the tables and through the settling pits, is returned to the well; this is also supplied by the water that is raised from the main shaft, which is conveyed from it to the well by ditch about 200 yards long. The water, passing continually over the tables, increases in saltness, added to which is a quantity of mind that is held in suspension, does not improved its quality for gold saving or boiler feeding. A good deal of this might be avoided if the manager had sufficient piping to carry the water which is raised from the mine (to the top of the shaft being a considerable height above the battery) direct to the tanks from which the tables are fed. This would also save the pump a considerable amount of work, as at present the water is allowed to run down the well and has to be pumped up again.
The pump is perfectly inadequate to supply the tables with water, and the size of the pipes will make very little difference, as more water cannot be raised by it. It was evidently intended to feed the boiler-not to supply the tables.
The water is perfectly unfitted for boiler purposes, as half an inch of salt was deposited during 70 hours crushing, which tookabout two and a half days to chip out. The danger is not the chemical action that this water has on the plates, but that a scale being formed inside the boiler of very bad heat-conducting substance, the plates are burnt through by the fire.
As far as these tables are concerned, I am of opinion that this water will work alright when sufficient can be supplied, as at the present time the battery is being worked at about half speed in about 47 strokes to the minute instead of about 80, whilst the water is dribbled over the tables. It would, in my opinion, have been better to have worked five head at full speed, with a full supply of water, then to have attempted to work thewhole ten. I should also recommend that no mercury be added to the crushing in the boxes, as all the complication in the amalgam is due to the iron from the wear and tear of the stamps which would mostly then be left selected freshwater in the boxes, and could easily be separated when dry from the gold by a magnet, or by silver with a little fresh water. What did pass through the screens would be carried by the water over the plates and ripples without amalgamating if there were a sufficient fall and stream of water, as it is only amalgamated with mercury in this water when kept long in contact, or on being ground with it. This trouble will also be encountered in the amalgamator, one of which the company will have to get in order to save the fine gold which, at present, is lost with the tailings. The battery is being badly supplied with enamelled amalgam buckets, iron dishes, mortars, amalgam scoops, india-rubber brushes, &c., for cleaning the plates, all of which are absolutely necessary for the working of a battery. Also small iron piping is required for rigging up a condenser.
A tramway is being constructed from the shaft to the battery, and the general work is making great progress, considering the great difficulties which have to be contended with.
The dam-which after the winter rains was full of very good water-is not quite dry, but has some very salty water in the bottom of it. This, I believe, is not due to evaporation, but to the fact that the dam has been sunk a little too deep, as the water stands at about the water-level. The bottom should, therefore, be puddled before any rain falls, to keep out the salt water and to keep in fresh.
I find that a good deal of uneasiness has been felt about the load in depth. This, I am very have to say, I can set at rest, as the load, where it has been cut at about 70 feet from the surface, is as large and of a more defined character than is Fraser's old workings, being about 12 ft through of nearly solid quartz, with a well-defined footwall, but it has not yet formed a hanging wall. On each side of the load the country is a mass of large and small leaders, with slatey partings for over 20 feet, a good deal of which carries gold. A level is now being put in to the north, which will be carried on as far as the boundary of the claim to prove what relation this load bears to that which is being worked by the Centrals, and is from this level that the stone is now being crushed. This will probably not prove so rich as the first crushing, as that was from the surface and the upper workings, and contained a good deal of semi- alluvial gold in the fissures and on the faces of the stone, but considering that the quality and quantity of the stone it should pay well to work when these little difficulties have been overcome, and the battery increased in size; the great mistake that is being made at present is to suppose that this mine is working, whereas it is only being tested.
What this mine may turn out to be is now in the hands of the shareholders; if they are all prepared to put their hands into their pockets again, it will be a success, but if not the sooner they shut it up the better.
The general prospects of the mine are very promising, and the management good, the only difficulties being the saltness of the water, and extraction of the gold, but this latter will, I think the overcome when the machine has being got into proper working order, and when we consider the results of the crushings which have taken place under such adverse circumstances, the amount of gold saved has proved very satisfactory, and would be considered a grand return anywhere but Western Australia.
THE CENTRALS.
This mine was not crushing when I was on the field, but was wisely waiting for fresh water to fill the boiler. In the meantime a good deal of work is being done on the surface, so as to have everything in perfect readiness. Another large dam has being constructed, and a water shaft, with a large pump, sunk close to the battery.
There is a shaft on the underlay of the reef about 60 feet in depth, which proves that a large body of stone is getting away steadily to the west. This reef seems to be of a compound nature, as the rich portion that has been worked is about 4 feet wide in the middle of a large reef, from which it is separated by a very fairly defined foot-wall and broken faces for a hanging-wall, but as the whole mass has not been cross-cut its width is unknown, but where it has been prospected it has proved to be much inferior to the portion that has been worked, but will probably pay well to work as a whole. It is now proposed to carry this shaft down to the water level (some 10 feet), then to cross-cut it and put in a level north and south, when the stone above will be stripped. There is a tramway from the shaft to the battery, and another water-shaft and pump, so as to be sure of a good supply of water.
A condensing boiler is now on the way to the field, so that this company will soon be in a position to set to work vigorously to test is very promising property, and it is to be hoped that they will shortly be able to turn out the gold in a first-class state.
OTHER MINES.
Very few of the other mines were at work, the exceptions being Fraser's South, Central Extended, and the Exchange. The two former were proceeding with the work of development, whilst on the latter a Huntingdon mill is being erected, but most of the work will shortly have to be suspended if
no rain falls.
ALLUVIAL.
A few alluvial diggers are still at work here, and some large nuggets have been found at Parker's, but no thorough alluvial prospecting has yet been done: of course this is in some measure due to so much of the land being leased, but when this regulation is altered, and alluvial diggers can work all over the surface of the leases, I expect some rich deposits will be found-not necessarily on the leases themselves, but by tracing the small runs of gold from them down into the deeper ground. As in this district so many rich reefs outcrop the surface, there are certain to be deposits of alluvial gold, but these deposits will not necessarily be covered by large deposits of sand and clay, but the gold will probably be found almost on the surface.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
In my last report on the fields I unfortunately worded a portion relating to the telegraph line. I did not mean it to be understood the telegraph line would be useless, but the railway would be of greater importance, as to be able to visit the fields quickly, and to get material up is of far greater importance than to know how they are getting on, but at the present time a telegraph line would be of great value to the teamsters to prevent them starting for the fields on every rumour of rain.
THE ROADS.
I would also like to say a word about the roads, which is that I would not spend another penny on them till the Roads Boards enforce the regulations with regard to driving horses in one line, as all the money spent during the last six months has been thrown away, as the roads are now in a worse condition than they were before, as a new track is completely spoiled by about a dozen heavy teams when they drive all their horses in a line. On an old road, the ruts of which are deeply cut, it would be impossible to start driving double, but on a new road, or a road on which new pieces are cut wherever the road is bad, they have no excuse....
more...
Year: 14 October 1902
PressClippings
more...
THE MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY OVERCROWDED WITH EXHIBITS.
MORE ACCOMMODATION WANTED.
The necessity for providing increased accommodation for the varied and valuable collections at the West Australian Museum daily makes itself more strongly felt. This matter has frequently been referred to in these columns, and it will be remembered that a few months ago in the history of the unfortunate circumstances which brought about the delay in erecting the National Art Gallery facing Beaufort-street—a delay which still exists—it was pointed out how, when arrangements were made for laying the foundation stone of that wing of the buildings which, when completed, will form the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of Western Australia, full consideration was given to the stipulation that the Duke of York would only lay the foundation stones of such structures as it was determined to proceed with immediately.
MORE ACCOMMODATION WANTED.
The necessity for providing increased accommodation for the varied and valuable collections at the West Australian Museum daily makes itself more strongly felt. This matter has frequently been referred to in these columns, and it will be remembered that a few months ago in the history of the unfortunate circumstances which brought about the delay in erecting the National Art Gallery facing Beaufort-street—a delay which still exists—it was pointed out how, when arrangements were made for laying the foundation stone of that wing of the buildings which, when completed, will form the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of Western Australia, full consideration was given to the stipulation that the Duke of York would only lay the foundation stones of such structures as it was determined to proceed with immediately.
This stipulation, it was understood, would be observed, and the Administrator of the day so far observed it that plans were prepared and tenders invited. Beyond that stage matters did not progress. The succeeding Ministry apparently considered the finances of the State were not in such a position as would admit of the promise being fulfilled.
Since then efforts have been made by the committee of management to ensure the immediate erection of the wing but to the present moment all that can be seen of the intention of the Government are the foundation stone which was laid by His Royal Highness, and the building which is being erected to the east of it, and which is intended mainly for the use of the Government Geologist’s Department, although it is understood that a portion of it will be available for Museum uses.
In the meantime valuable collections lie about the rooms belonging to the old gaol, which is now converted to the uses of the Museum, and in the annexe which was erected behind it a few years ago. Not only are the collections intrinsically valuable, representing thousands of pounds sterling ; over and above all this, there is their educative and representative value, which cannot be expressed in figures.
Many of the collections are representative of the State itself—its minerals and other resources, its flora and fauna, its ethnological and other features. In the badly-lighted, cramped-up room which does duty for an Art Gallery, are literally cribbed, cabined, and confined an art collection, the value of which is completely lost, while other treasures which belong to the same department lie in boxes and cabinets on trays and stands, covered up, and entirely hidden from view.
Collections from various parts of the world, full of interest, each in itself a valuable aid to the higher education of the people, are awaiting cases and shelves, classification, and arrangement, and even if these were available there is no space provided for them. Thus, the purposes for which the Museum and Art Gallery exist can only be inadequately fulfilled, and much of the money which has been spent in procuring the collections is yielding no return, and the interest shown by scientific men and institutions outside the State as well as the interest displayed many of the colonists in the State in forwarding collections and specimens, has not yet produced that benefit which is so much to be desired. And as if this were not enough, the pecuniary, as well as the representative and educative value of the thousands of treasures which have not yet been placed for lack of room is deteriorating.
Those who have but the merest smattering of knowledge of these matters cannot but recognise that no matter how careful and anxious may be the director of a Museum and his assistants to preserve the value of the collections committed to their charge, their efforts must fall far short of success if they have not the necessary facilities for such a purpose at their disposal. Indeed, it could hardly be said that the language of exaggeration were used if it were stated that unless some steps are taken in the immediate future to satisfy the want of accommodation that now exists, much of the valuable treasure in the Museum will all too soon become worthless, and in many instances it will be difficult and costly, if not utterly impossible, to replace what is lost. If only half the accommodation required were provided, it would probably be found that the value of the Museum to the thousands who visit it would be at least doubled, while if the necessary space were provided for exhibiting the collections now stored, and those which will arrive very shortly, such a show could be made as would render the Museum a worthy competitor with its sister institutions in the Eastern States.
The need for additional accommodation once again came under the notice of a representative of this journal, who yesterday visited the Museum, to obtain some account of the more recent additions made to the collections.
Mr. B. H. Woodward, the Director, conducted his visitor over the building, and detailed many of he collections received of late. Some little time ago Mr. Woodward sent to Professor Giglioli of Rome, a collection of aboriginal weapons and curios, and some idea of the store set upon these will be gathered from the fact that in return a most valuable collection of exhibits has been received from the professor. These include a sixteenth century painting of the Madonna ; plaster busts of Apollo and Juno ; a number of Grecian and Roman antiquities, among them nearly a score of vases and cups, in an excellent state of preservation, an old porphyry pestle and mortar of prodigious weight, an antique Roman lamp, and other pottery : a piece of the old Forum at Rome ; a lamp used in Catanzaro, Southern Italy ; Italian pottery of the present day ; sixteenth century Venetian glass ; a curious olive-oil brass lamp of the seventeenth century fashioned after the antique ; several natural history specimens, including a couple of armadillos ; collection of arrow-heads, and other flint weapons, chiefly of the European stone age, although there are some belonging to a similar period in America, and it is curious to notice the strong family resemblance between these and the flint arrow and spear heads which the Australian aborigines of the present day use in the interior of Australia, evidencing, as it does, that for the latter the stone age is still existent.
Professor Giglioli also presented a Sardinian vulture, a young crocodile from the Nile, the exceedingly rare and curious earth-pig of South Africa, a vulture received from the Prince of Naples, and the head of the almost extinct wild sheep of Corsica.
Other interesting specimens were also received from the professor, and, to those named, form a collection of great value and interest, but at present they cannot be exhibited for want of room. Of the lasting qualities of jarrah, there is an excellent specimen in the shape of a venerable survey-post planted by Surveyor Watson in Swan Location 110, Wanneroo, in the year 1838, and taken up by Mr. A. J. Wells in May, this year, and presented to the Surveyor-General, who sent it on to the Museum. This, too, is stowed away.
Wherever the visitor goes, the thought uppermost in his mind is the need for additional accommodation. As he pauses from room to room, various trays and trunks, cabinets and cases, meet his eye, and Mr. Woodward, as he explains them, invariably finishes up with “that, too, is awaiting room to show it.”
Trays of trapdoor spiders are piled on trays of semi-opal specimens from the Murchison. A number of genuine and curious-looking aboriginal utensils lie in one corner. On stands are placed huge stores of local and other minerals, awaiting the hands of the sorter and classifier. In another room are early collections of plants, lying between the leaves of books, and the latter stowed away. Cases, containing a number of the specimens returned from the recent Glasgow Exhibition, lie unopened, for the place where once they rested has been filled with other collections. Native weapons—the real genuine articles, with their bloodthirsty-looking points and sharp edges—lie piled up against the wall of what used to be a prison corridor, while in another part are cases of Western Australian birds and shells sent in by the collector. In another room, among pictures that cannot be hung for lack of room, are the specimens of Barotsi pottery presented by Sir Arthur Lawley, and the fine collection of ancient Roman and Phoenician glass, Syrian repousse work, and quaint old Venetian glass, which was noticed in these columns some time ago.
In another room lie the packages containing the weapons and curios brought back down by the late Kimberley exploring party, and these gain additional interest from the fact that they are the only specimens of the kind in the Museum. In another room, packed away in eight large iron travelling trunks, is the Rothschild collection of British birds presented to the Museum in exchange for local specimens. Upon a cabinet in another room is a fine assortment of genuine old Bohemian glass, some quaint and curious, some of great beauty, and these stand upon one of several cabinets which are filled with rock specimens, illustrating products of the State.
Entering the rooms sacred to the taxidermist, in one is seen a fine example of West Australian marsupial skeletons, which need mounting and exhibition. In another are numbers of birds in various stages of preparation, skeletons of various animals, and also native weapons from the Northern Territory.
In what used to be the convicts' washhouse are to be seen numerous fish and reptiles in spirits awaiting room ; unpacked cases of exhibits returned from the Paris and Glasgow Exhibitions ; some extremely interesting and valuable donations from various mines on the Eastern goldfields, showing the entire width of the lodes in the mines whence they were taken ; imitations of English plants, to be used for mounting the Rothschild collection of birds, when there is room to mount it.
Other rooms contain specimens of bores, 50 jars of snakes and fish, birds'-nests of many kinds, and almost wherever one goes there are packages of birds. At Fremantle, our representative was informed there are 1,017 fossils, presented by the trustees of the British Museum, and there are now on the was from the East specimens of the ceramic wares and tiles made in the factories at Victoria and New South Wales.
Specimens are shortly to arrive from Paris and Glasgow, in exchange for local collections presented to those cities. The Japanese Government is sending over a number of various specimens. Pottery is coming from the Della Robbia works, in Italy ; antiquities from Copenhagen, a number of busts from London, and a collection of early British glass will arrive this week or next. And ever and again, Mr. Woodward mournfully observes that they cannot yet be exhibited to the public for want of room. In the large gallery on the ground floor, hundreds of birds lie packed away in their neat paper parcels. Upstairs in a cabinet in the bird gallery is the Tennant collection of fossils, sufficient to fill eight showcases ; and those in Fremantle, from the British Museum will be at least sufficient to fill five more. In cabinets, also, are hidden away the West Australian plant collections, arranged alphabetically and geographically to facilitate reference.
It would be possible to continue this enumeration much longer, but enough has, perhaps, been said to show that, no matter how attractive the Museum is—and the thousands of visitors who attend it and the opinions expressed are sufficient guarantee—there remains stowed away in the rooms treasures not only valuable to the trained scientist, but of great educative value to the people generally, and many of them illustrating the wealth of Western Australia to a degree that apart from educational considerations, should be an advertisement for the State. At present, however, as already said, they lie hidden almost as completely as if they had never been taken from the depths of the ocean, the bowels of the earth, or from the wilds of the bush, and must continue to so lie until the necessity for bringing them within public view has been recognised and provided for by the erec[tion] of the much-needed additional [accommo]dation....
more...
Author: Slack-Smith, Shirley M.
Call no: FN321
Year: [22/06/1985-27/06/1985-26/11/1985-27/11/1985]
Archives
more...
[Abridged summary of daily activities follow]
International Youth Year Expedition to Beacon I., Houtman Abrolhos
Murray Crowell - Karrinyup; Fraser Jenkins - Karrinyup; Lynda Howitt - Bluff Point; Beckie Hyde - White Gum Valley; Louise Ireland - Sorrento; Belinda Robson - Mosman Park; Jayne Reynolds - Geraldton,
International Youth Year Expedition to Beacon I., Houtman Abrolhos
Murray Crowell - Karrinyup; Fraser Jenkins - Karrinyup; Lynda Howitt - Bluff Point; Beckie Hyde - White Gum Valley; Louise Ireland - Sorrento; Belinda Robson - Mosman Park; Jayne Reynolds - Geraldton,
Saturday 22-VI-85
[Collected students; Scotch College - Bruce Philpott; Dalkeith - Anthony Aylmore (Christchurch); Nedlands - Ross Hopkins (Scotch). Sam Jones arrived with Murray Crawell, Fraser Jenkins & Louise Ireland - Karrinup. Pat Baker arrived with Beckie Hyde - White Gum Valley; Belinda Robson - Mosman Park (Hollywood). Travelled to Geraldton.]
23-VI-85
8.30 - Sam, Pat & I went to see Greg Wallace - directions for excursion - fuel, bread etc. 11.00 - left Geraldton for Northhampton. Road to Harrocks turn left on dirt road just after second crossing of Bower River - Undercut low cliffs on W. side of river. Willow Valley - Aboriginal site - paintings in 2 caves near N end. No molluscs found. Beach S of Harrocks - beach rocks. Pleistocene ? limestone. Typical SWA fauna. Balanus; Large limpets P. laticostata; Turbo torquata; Dicathais; few T. pulcher. Lunch overlooking barred mouth of River. Harrocks Beach, ospreys, Crested terns. Geraldton Museum to sea photos maps & exhibits pf Batavia wreck & site etc. Discussion in evening.
24-VI-85 Monday
[Travel to Beacon Island]
25-VI-85 Tuesday
Got up at 7.30 after very wakeful night. After breakfast went swimming. Sam, Linda, Louise & I swam over area out from bay to E of station - out over N end of reef to west & along reef bordering Goss Passage. Students & Sam had sessions on the hookah[?] from jetty. During afternoon I organised Jayne & Bruce to do the transect project - out from bay on N side of island - I set up microscope - sorted animals. - collected some tube dwelling operculate worms - Serpulids? for Louisette - Worms orange -red - tubes almost papery & after fused together - collected from 1-2m in bay to NE side of island. Other "serpulids" on weed (Sargassum) - apparently not operculate.
26-VI-85
Went over to Long Island. Collected in pools on N half of island.
#1 - most northerly has recently been invaded by waves - apart from Austrocochlea & Bembicium no other organisms observed except for dead drift Sargassum.
#2 -Next pool south is notable because of the large amount of v. large Ulva plants - c thalli up to aobut 2x0.75m - in general of robust texture - some less robust (moribund) are holed. Amphipods; Opisthobranch egg strings (?Bulla); Austrocochlea; Bembicium; "Leptons"; Cladocerams (dark red); Serpulids ? under rocks; Chitons; anemones.
#3 -Pool at about centre of island on W side. Plenty of Bembicium; Austrocochlea; Amphipods; remains of Vermetids; crabs; orange-tan sponge under rock; orange worms - white bristles.
Went swimming in Goss Passage off SE end of Long Island. Collected chamids 1-3m for Professor Purcham[?]. Collected oysters. Chamids 2spp.
(1) Shell white & mauve. Exterior of anterior aperture clear light brown with granules of white or cream. Interior & posterior part of & to this aperture is clear mud brown. Interior of posterior aperture dark brown round edges (c clear white tentacles) & orange (opaque) peripheral to that with white opaque granules at post end. Gills orange(opaque) internallu ? gonads.
Used Patrick's telescope (tele-lens) to look at 1/2 moon. & Jupiter c 4 moons & Betelguese (2 stars).
27-VI-85
Felt ill so didn't go diving. Did lab work. Helped students with transect & salinity projects. Sam & Pat went out hoping to get to wreck site - too rough so they went to Coral Gardens area & dived down slope. Pat brought back a spondylid & 2 small chamids from 100' (slope of about 45° to sandy plain bottom). Sam brought back some vermetid shells from about 25' - narcotised few[?] serpulids.
[...]
26-XI-85
Mike Sparrow, Terry Wheatley, Russell Smith, Dennis Hilder CALM, Graham McCuldin.
[Notes on spraying blackberries around a spring?]
Leeuwin Naturaliste Nat. Pk. WA 26-XI-85
- About 1k S of Ellen Brook mouth - adjacent to beach boulders.
#1 #2 v small areas of reeds & sedges - dead shells of Austroassiminea. soil dry but cool under mat of growth. Approx 1km S of Ellen Brook mouth - adjacent to beach boulders. Stn#1 - v small area of reeds. Stn#2 - v small area of sedges.
at Guoocardup Seep.
(3) under saltbush (4) under exposed herbage (5) under reed on W edge (6) under sedges on E edge.
27-XI-85
[...]
"Ellensbrook" WA [...]
#7 - Ellensbrook H.S. seepage in a fenced area E of lawn - on S fence line & SW fence (inside & out).
#8 - off parking area - footpath c seepage from N. (before bridge over creck; among rushes) Near Ellenbrook HS.
#9 - off parking area, foothpath with seepage - in water weed
#10 - near Ellenbrook, WA. on path to head of Meekadarrabie stream - under trees (peppermints) c moss & arum lilies.
#11 - near Ellenbrook, WA. near headof Meekadarrabie stream - under dead bracken litter.
#12 - near Ellenbrook, WA. Meekadarrabie Stream - bank with liverworts.
#13 - near Ellenbrook, WA. Meekadarrabie Stream - in water with watercress.
#14 - at W side of Meekadarrabie Falls, WA under dead sedges.
#15 - at W side Meekadarrabie Falls....
more...
SOUTHERN CROSS NEWS.
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
SOUTHERN CROSS, Jun 3.
THE WEATHER.
A few lines to let you know how we are getting on up here. The late rains
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
SOUTHERN CROSS, Jun 3.
THE WEATHER.
A few lines to let you know how we are getting on up here. The late rains
have put a considerable supply of water in all the tanks and dams, but
have not filled them, with the exception of the Lake Cotton tanks which
are full. Rain commenced again last night and continued till this
afternoon.
APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION.
During last week there was a little excitement and indignation amongst the
business people and miners owing to most of the leading mines making
application to the Warden for another six months' exemption or partial
exemption from work. A petition was signed by a great many here,
objecting to any further exemptions and each case, as it came before the
Warden, was objected to. Mr Finnerty was equal to the occasion and met
the difficulty in a way that appears to have given entire satisfaction all
round, by granting the applicants one month's exemptions each, with one
exception, Fraser's South Co., and they got three months. This caused
considerable comment, as this claim is understood to belong to a t’other
[sic] side Co. and we were led to believe, from the first, that the
othersiders would show us the way should they acquire any property here.
This certainly does not look like it, with an immense tank of water on
their claim and plenty of teams about to carry all their machinery to the
field. Under such circumstances it seems at the least a little queer to
me that these bloated capitalists should be applying for six months
exemption.
THE LABOUR CLAUSE.
Great satisfaction was felt here when the news arrived that the convenors
of the meeting in Perth, to petition the Government to suspend the labour
clause for another six months, had been so signally defeated, for various
reasons. In the first place, it is looked upon as a slight on the
Warden's judgment, as the Mining Act, as it is, gives the Warden power to
protect and grant exemptions to all deserving applicants on their showing
just cause, and I must say everyone here appears to have the greatest
confidence in the Warden's judgment and impartiality, whereas on the other
hand, by a general suspension of the labour clause, claims that have been
held for upwards of two years and have not done an honest month's work,
and won't if they can help it, are still kept alive, depriving others that
would prospect the ground from doing so. It is now time to work them or
to stamp them out.
CRUSHING.
We have had two batterys at work during the last two weeks, the Central
company and the Exchange. The Central had been working their ten head
stamps, but unfortunately broke one of their stamp heads, and having no
duplicates are now working with nine. This company, as is well known, are
perfectly independent of the elements for water, as they have worked all
along with salt water in their boiler, without any ill effects, and
condense all their water for domestic use from it.
It is generally reported here, in fact it is the common talk, that they
(the Central) are crushing a very inferior stone, not nearly up to the
average of stone they could crush, and which, people say who ought to
know, is available. But perhaps that is nobody's business but the
managers and directors, of of [sic] whom there are plenty, and whose
combined wisdom the shareholders have entire confidence in. So the public
needn't bother. Fraser's Company have a plate to put in their boiler
before they start. It is anticipated that will take about nine days.
They don't appear to be in a hurry, or they would have had the old plate
cut out by the time the boiler maker got here. That is what was done on a
former occasion when they burnt a plate, and the query is, Why was it not
done this time? Some of the shareholders might with justice ask at the
next meeting. The Exchange mill has crushed about ninety tons in
something like a fortnight, only working daytime. It worked splendidly
the whole time it ran, not the slightest hitch occurring. I look upon it
as a great success, and I would advise any company that contemplates
getting a crushing plant to pause before purchasing a stamper battery, to
see the further results of this inexpensive little wonder. Some of the
stone crushed is as hard as any on the field, and it crushed it well.
They stopped last Friday for the want of water, as this company had
insufficient provision for water.
According to some of the experienced amalgamators that have seen this mill
at work, they find fault with the size of the screens used, as they
consider them too large for a field that carries such a percentage of fine
gold, and also in the absence of after-saving appliances; but this appears
to be the general complaint here, which can be easily remedied, and I have
no doubt will before long, when the results will about double.
WATER CONSERVATION.
I mentioned before about Lake Cotton tanks being full, in fact the whole
lake is covered a few inches deep, and, considering this is only one and a
half miles from the township, people are wondering how it is that the
Government tank sinkers took the trouble to plant themselves six miles
further south at a place called Sayer's Tank, and commenced enlarging the
tank there instead of deepening Lake Cotton and making one immense tank
there, as it is the best watershed about the district. It fills before
any other and holds, as proved by the last two seasons, like an iron tank.
Perhaps they will say it gets brackish when low, well so does Sayer's
tank. Perhaps they'll say the water remains thick and has a reddish
colour in Lake Cotton. Both of these complaints are easily cured by a
shovelfull [sic]of hot ashes or a packet or two of salts. Anyway dirty
water is better than none. Kookerdine tank also gets brackish when very
low, which convinces me that by sinking one very large tank the freshness
of the water would be maintained by reason of the greater body of water.
Distance is another consideration, when the price of horse feed is taken
into account, and it is well known that a share of rain would fill Lake
Cotton, when some of the other tanks would only catch a few inches.
Another thing in favour of Lake Cotton is that it has an area of about 150
yards in length by about 80 yards across, the whole of which could be
excavated to a depth of 5 feet at little expense, as proved by the tank
already sunk in the bed of it, and which is now full and overflowing,
while most of the other tanks, after the late rains, only contain a few
feet. Of course Lake Cotton can only be excavated in the dry season; but
the question is: why go so far from the centres of population to excavate
tanks, when we have proved the existence of better ground nearer home?
Can anybody answer why?
THE BUNBURY T. M. COMPANY.
Mr H. C. Castilla, the manager of the above company, reports, under date
June 9th: — "I made my monthly visit to the Bunbury Tin Mine on the 6th
inst., and found matters proceeding very satisfactorily. The manager (Mr
Hollingsworth) has now completed the water supply system for continued
washing throughout the winter. Up to date, singularly enough, the
rainfalls have not augmented the water supply. The heavy rains, it
appears, have been confined to the coast. The rainfall in the Blackwood
has been comparatively slight. I think, however, there has been a heavy
rainfall there since the 6th. If so, every brook on the field will be
running. During my stay the manager streamed up 15 cwt. of tin in about
an hour, completing three tons, which, I expect, will arrive here this
week. The stripping, raising, and stacking operations, have been going on
as usual, and there is on the surface a large body of stuff ready for
treatment. The more this claim is investigated the greater is the promise
it gives of being both a paying and a lasting concern."
ADELAIDE MINING QUOTATIONS
[BY TELEGRAPH]
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
Broken Hill, c.r. £11 11s; Block No. 10, £6 17s; Central, £6 0s 6d; Block
No. 14,
£5 15s; Souths, £7 7s; Junctions, 70s; British Blocks, £2 1s 6d.
THE ASHBURTON GOLD DISCOVERY.
FURTHER REPORTS.
A correspondent telegraphed to us, yesterday, under date Onslow, June 10: —
James Hackett arrived from the Ashburton Goldfields yesterday morning. He
states that the route from Onslow is the best. There is water all the
way. The longest stage is between the River and the Field, a distance of
25 miles. Edward Bewsher arrived last night. He states that he worked
eight weeks, and got twenty ounces of gold. He returns with provisions at
the end of the week. A few men are leaving the field.
THE YILGARN GOLDFIELDS.
A correspondent gives the following particulars, which mainly corroborate
the news already published, concerning the condition of affairs on the
eastern goldfields. He reports all quiet at Southern Cross, on his
arrival near the end of May. The Central was crushing day and night. Mr
Ryan had overcome the difficulty arising from the machinery getting out of
order, and was prepared to continue crushing for three months, when he
would clean up. The Exchange was crushing by day. At both claims the
managers seemed satisfied at the result of the crushing. About fifteen
men were washing alluvial, and, from all he could learn, were doing fairly
well. Altogether there were about 100 men, 26 women, and some children at
the Cross, and all seemed in good spirits. There was a plentiful supply
of water. The Kookerdine tank held 5 ft 6 in., and Fraser's South tank
was full. He was informed that the Fraser's would not be ready to resume
crushing for a month, when it was expected that the necessary repairs
would be completed. He visited Parker's Range on May 26 and 27. There
were 22 men on the field, and all was orderly. There was a plentiful
supply of fresh water. On arrival at Golden Valley, about the 29th May,
he found that the place was practically deserted, only two hotel keepers
and their families remaining. There was a plentiful supply of water. He
reports that there was no sickness on any part of the field. He found a
plentiful supply of water along the road when returning, and the road
itself was in fair order, excepting between Belmunger and York. He met
six waggons [sic] and four carts heavily laden, en route to the
goldfields, and also 31 men proceeding to the same place. He considers
that the well and pump erected by McAlister, about two miles from the York
end of Hunt's dam, are a good piece of work. He considers that if a
couple of fenced wells with pumps, were constructed along the road, it
would put an end to any further complaint concerning the York route.
During his trip he heard no complaints either along the road or on the
fields.
ENGLISH INVESTORS AND WEST AUSTRALIAN GOLD DEPOSITS.
FORMATION OF A SYNDICATE IN LONDON.
A REMARKABLE STORY.
We hear, says the European Mail of May 9th, that a syndicate has been
formed with a capital of £10,000 in 100 shares of £100 each, one-half of
which will be payable on subscription, and the balance as the committee
shall direct, to assist Mr John Calvert in his gold search in Western
Australia. Mr Calvert, who is a well-known mining expert, avows that in
no place as he come upon so rich and extraordinary a gold "bunch" as
during his expedition in Western Australia. Within a very limited area,
he says, there is a veritable treasure, in the shape of a deposit of gold,
which, from what he saw on the ground, and from samples he brought away,
he roughly estimates at from 4 to 4 1/2 millions sterling. This, Mr
Calvert says, "is what was in sight — it would be difficult to estimate
how far this 'bunch' went down, but perhaps not far." The district where
this outcrop occurs, owing chiefly to the absence of water, has hitherto
remained unexplored, except by Mr Calvert, who, with the knowledge and
experience he has already gained, is now prepared to organise, and
undertake charge of, an immediate expedition to secure this treasure. Mr
Calvert thinks he may accomplished this at a cost of £6,000, but he
stipulates that not less than £10,000, shall be subscribed, as he wishes
to provide for all possible contingencies, in order to bring the
expedition to a successful issue. The money subscribed, or so much of it
as may be required, will be devoted solely to the payment of actual
expenses necessary for the expedition, and the remuneration of Mr Calvert,
and of all parties interested in the result, will be entirely dependent
upon the success of the undertaking.
The memorandum from which we have gleaned the above particulars for the
says that the whole treasure will be consigned to the Bank of England in
the names of a committee of five members, three of which shall be
nominated by the syndicate and two by Mr Calvert. Out of the proceeds of
the venture the subscribers shall first be paid whatever money they have
advanced, together with a bonus of three times that amount, and Mr Calvert
shall be paid a like sum. Thus, supposing the expenses amount to, say,
£7,500, the syndicate would receive, in addition to the unexpended balance
(£2,500), the return of the whole outlay, together with a bonus of three
times that amount, say, £30,000. If the venture comes off as expected, Mr
Calvert is to receive £30,000, and out of the balance of profits realised,
the syndicate is to receive 50 per cent. and Mr Calvert and the promoters
50 per cent. The agreement between the syndicate and Mr John Calvert, who
has sailed for Western Australia, is to be seen at the office of Mr H. B.
Roberts, the solicitor to the company, 6 Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster,
where copies of the memorandum and articles of association of the company
can be obtained on payment of one shilling for each copy....
more...
Author: Cumpston, John Howard Lidgett, 1880-1954
Year: 3 May 1909
PressClippings
more...
ROMANCE OF MODERN MEDICINE.
PROGRESS OF THE HEALING ART.
THIRTY YEARS OF DISCOVERY.
THE VANQUISHMENT OF DISEASE.
ADDRESS BY DR. J. H. L. CUMPSTON.
“Romance of Modern Medicine” was the subject of a lecture delivered on
PROGRESS OF THE HEALING ART.
THIRTY YEARS OF DISCOVERY.
THE VANQUISHMENT OF DISEASE.
ADDRESS BY DR. J. H. L. CUMPSTON.
“Romance of Modern Medicine” was the subject of a lecture delivered on
Friday evening by Dr. J. H. L. Cumpston, D.P.H., under the auspices of the
committee of the Western Australian Museum and Art Gallery. The subject
was most interestingly presented, and gave the audience a most informative
insight into the progress of medical research during the last 30 years.
Dr. Cumpston commenced by inviting the audience to join with him in
admiration and wonder at the marvellous progress in medical science that
the last few years had witnessed. Continuing, he said :—In instituting a
comparison between things as they now are and things as they have been,
there is no occasion to refer to such things as mandrake, frog’s blood,
powdered lizards, and all the disgusting armamentarium of the physician of
the dark Middle Ages, nor is it necessary to remind you of cupping,
purging, leeching, bloodletting, and the other irrational practices that
were used indiscriminately by medical men of even later days. I need only
quote from a lecture to which I listened 10 years ago. The
lecturer—surgery was the subject—said, “Fifteen years ago in these wards
hospital gangrene was rampant, and it was considered an achievement if an
operation wound healed without suppurating.” That state of affairs existed
25 years ago, and to-day one occasionally hears a surgeon say, “I regret
to have to tell you that the wound suppurated,” while
“Hospital Gangrene” Is Unknown.
What was the recognised condition 25 years ago now is a matter for
reproach. In the text-books of 10 years ago there still remained in use
the term “laudable pus.” Think of what that means. The dirty discharge
from an infected wound described by leading surgeons as “praiseworthy,”
while to-day the surgeon spends a sleepless night if the suspicion if pus
occurs in a wound. What was meant, of course, was that type of discharge
referred to as “laudable” indicated that the wound would ultimately heal
and the patient get well. Thirty years ago no surgeon would, except in the
most extreme circumstances, operate on the abdomen or the brain, because
the wounds were sure to become infected and the patient sure to die. Now
such operations are performed daily and many lives saved. Only 12 years
ago diphtheria and croup were most deadly. The spectacle of a child, its
throat choked with membrane, fighting for breath, and dying after hours of
suffering, worn out with the combined effects of the disease, poison, and
the unavailing struggle for enough breath to carry on its life—this was
only too common a sight. To-day we have in our hands a remedy which
Robs Diphtheria of All Its Terror
and enables us to save many hundreds of children every year. The story of
the last 30 years of medical work is fascinating beyond words, and an hour
will not he wasted if it is spent in reviewing some of the most
interesting features of the revolution in thought which has taken place—a
revolution of which the keynote is not war and death, but peace and life.
When one reviews the position as it was 30 years ago, one cannot help
feeling that the whole medical world was in a state of suspense, waiting
almost with bated breath for someone to open the door of that chamber in
which lay the secret of
Many Unexplained Mysteries.
Whether the hour made the man, or the man proclaimed the hour is of little
moment ; the great fact remains that the door of that chamber was unlocked
by a single hand—that of him whom the whole English world now reverences
as Lord Lister. But after all, what was it that that he first proved? It
was very simple, and the wonder is not that he discovered it, but that it
was not recognised long before. It was that when a wound inflames and
suppurates it does so because the instruments used, the hands of the
surgeon, and the dressings applied were not clean. In other words, dirt,
containing germs, was present somewhere within the field of operation.
This seems to us now an elementary fact so ridiculously simple as to lead
to wonder why it was never before recognised, but the results of Lister’s
discovery and teaching have been incalculable. It has become possible to
operate on the brain, the lungs, all the abdominal organs, and even the
heart itself, with the knowledge that in almost every case the patient
will recover ; it is now possible for women to go through the period of
childbirth without “milk fevers” (once considered to be normal) or any of
the ghastly “blood-poisonings” of the lying-in period once so common.
About the same time that Lister was giving his message to the scientific
world there was working quietly in Paris
Another Genius
whose work was destined to play an equally important part. All tourists
who visit Paris take the earliest opportunity of travelling across the
river to the Hotel des Invalides, there to see one of the most sumptuous
and magnificent mausoleums in Europe. In a massive block of glittering red
porphyry lies buried Napoleon—the man who was responsible for more deaths
than any other man of modern centuries. There is one other tomb in Paris
worthy to be compared with that of Napoleon, and to this go all medical
men as surely and as devotedly as the Mohammedan to Mecca. In this tomb of
black marble lies buried the man who with Lister has been the means of
saving more lives than any other man throughout all time—Louis Pasteur.
What Lister and Pasteur Did.
What was it that these two men did? Why does the world count them so
honourable? It was because they discarded completely the cloaks of
tradition, broke their way through the bewildering meshes of humbug and
sought the reason for all things, asking restlessly and persistently of
all phenomena in season and out of season the question “why.” And this is
what they discovered. That no part of Nature stands alone, that the nature
is one complete scheme and the explanation of one part is to be found only
by the study of all the other parts, that man is not a self-contained
being but is affected and played upon by innumerable factors involving the
most widely divided parts of the scheme of nature ; that disease in Nature
is frequently merely one set of organisms living at the expense of others;
that members of the vegetable kingdom become diseased because they are
invaded by other and inferior members of that kingdom, that members of the
animal kingdom are preyed upon by members of both animal and vegetable
kingdoms, and that what is known as disease in nature is often the result
of one type of organism obtaining its nourishment from and at the expense
of the organisms to which it attaches itself, and further that these
diseased conditions may be spread from one animal or vegetable to another
by the medium of other animals, e.g., bees may carry disease from flower
to flower, so that the whole kingdom of nature is a closely interwoven
mass where
All Things Are Fighting Against Each Other.
for their existence. In short, that disease in man is produced by minute
vegetable cells, by larger vegetable organisms, by fungi, by minute animal
cells, and even by comparatively large animals. That seems a very simple
thing to have discovered, but it was never realised before, and has since
been found to explain almost every problem in disease of animals and
plants, and many things hitherto obscure became plain under the light of
this simple truth. The picture shows a number of small knobs such as are
frequently seen on small bushes in the scrub. If these are cut open a
number of small worms will be found inside. This is an instance of a worm
producing a disease—a tumour, in fact—on a plant. Another condition common
enough on the leaves of small eucalypts and acacias in the bush in this
country is the scale. These scales, if examined with a microscope, are
seen to be formed by myriads of minute organisms of different types.
This ceaseless warfare throughout Nature of cue form of living organism
against another—the struggle for existence, as it is called—had no sooner
been recognised than it was turned to useful account. From apparent chaos
and confusion man’s intelligence has produced a certain system and order,
playing off one variety of organism or parasite against another, in such a
way as to produce desired and useful results. A separate branch of
science—economic entomology—has arisen, which concerns itself with
annihilating the parasites which infest and destroy our edible fruits and
plants by attacking them with other parasites.
Let us now consider some of the diseases which have been elucidated by the
discovery of these minute disease-producing plants or vegetable cells. The
first disease which
Pasteur Elucidated,
after realising that the source of any disease was to be looked for in any
part of the animal or vegetable kingdom, was the silkworm disease, which
was causing great havoc and pecuniary loss in the South of France. This
disease he showed to be due to a minute parasite which invaded the body of
the silkworm and rapidly caused its death. The next disease which Pasteur
elucidated was anthrax. This caused a heavy mortality amongst sheep in
France, and it arose from time to time in different places in most
mysterious ways. It could not be understood why a flock of sheep should
suddenly be invaded by this disease when there was no other case within
some hundreds of miles. There was also a disease known as “woolsorters’
disease,” in which the hands, arms, and faces of workers among wool became
attacked with a severe ulceration, the effects of which were so great that
the patients often died. The same disease was found to break out from time
to time among men who had handled mohair, camels’ hair, horses’ hair from
China and Persia. Frequently as soon as the bales of such hair were opened
the men became attacked. It was Pasteur’s work that demonstrated that all
these conditions were produced by the same organism—a microscopic
vegetable cell, the anthrax bacillus. This organism has the power of
forming spores, i.e., when the food supply is insufficient or the
environment of the organism is not favourable to the life of the bacillus
it forms itself into small spherical masses and surrounds itself with an
extremely hard and resistant coat. This fact explains why it is that the
disease breaks out in remote parts and why men working with goods packed
in China contract the disease in England. These spores live for many
months, and as soon as they find themselves in a suitable environment they
develop into an active form and again produce the disease. Pasteur proved
the important fact that a disease in man which was not previously
understood was the result of accidental infection with the virus of a
disease of sheep and other animals.
Although Lister showed that inflammation, abscess formation, and
suppuration were the result of the infection of a wound with foreign forms
of life, he did not at once describe the organisms in detail. Pasteur was
once at a meeting of the Royal Society of Medicine of France, where the
subject under discussion was
Puerperal Fever.
All the members supported various theories of spontaneous generation of
inflammation except Pasteur, who, rising in the meeting, spoke to this
effect :—“What rubbish you talk! It is nonsense to speak of spontaneous
generation of puerperal fever ! A woman can no more suffer from puerperal
fever by herself than she can produce children by herself. The cause of
puerperal fever is a microbe introduced with the dirt on the hands of the
midwives and the hands of yourselves—members of this Society.” One member
laughingly said, “That’s all very well, but what is this microbe like? Who
has ever seen it?” Pasteur replied, “I have. It’s like this,” and he drew
it on a blackboard. What he drew is now known as a streptococcus, which
together with the staphylococcus produce almost all the inflammation and
abscesses the world suffers from. These organisms are to be found
everywhere throughout Nature in the sweepings of the streets, the water we
drink, the food we eat, and the clothes we wear. Before they can do any
damage, however, a person must be in a condition of lowered resistance,
there must be some wound through which they may enter the body, and they
must be in sufficient numbers to overcome the body’s resisting powers.
In 881 it was announced that the organism which caused
Typhoid Fever
had been discovered. This organism is a short rod-shaped bacillus
possessed of a very large number of flagella (limbs, in other words), by
means of which it propels itself through any fluid in which it may be. The
discovery of this organism has made an immense difference in the way in
which the disease is regarded. It is now possible to examine carefully and
ascertain whether the bacilli are present in any substance supposed to
have produced typhoid fever and investigate the various ways in which it
may be spread. Among other ways it has been found that typhoid fever
organisms are conveyed from privies and collections of excreta to milk and
other food exposed on tables in dining-rooms or kitchens by the ordinary
house-fly, and also that a frequent source of infection is by oysters,
mussels, and shellfish which are laid down in beds at the outfall of sewers.
Tetanus, or lockjaw, as it used to be called, has been shown to be caused
by a bacillus which exists in the form of spores and is found almost
invariably in horse manure. The reason for this association with horse
manure is not very clear, but the fact has been abundantly proved.
It is difficult to find any single discovery that has created such a
sensation and been productive of such far-reaching results as that of
The Bacillus of Tuberculosis,
announced by Koch in 1882. Up till the time of that announcement there had
been the vaguest uncertainty and the wildest speculation about tubercular
diseases, but the discovery of the organism that caused the disease and
the description of the methods by which it could be recognised
crystallised at once the whole matter and made definite knowledge and
rational action possible. Perhaps the most important result of Koch’s
discovery was the finding that many of the diseases of cattle and pigs,
the nature of which was previously very obscure, were caused by the same
organism as that which produced tuberculosis in man, and that eating the
flesh of diseased cattle or pigs or drinking milk from such cattle can and
does produce tuberculosis in man. This is not the place to deal with
Koch’s subsequent announcement in 1901 that the organisms of human and
bovine tuberculosis are different and not interchangeable. It will be
sufficient to say that the work of the British Royal Commission has proved
beyond question that tubercular meat and milk can produce tuberculosis in
man.
In such a review of recent discoveries as the present one it is difficult
to refrain from using expressions of admiration and wonder, and with each
fresh phase of the subject one is tempted to use superlatives. Perhaps,
however, the portion of medical work where we would be justified in using
expressions beyond the ordinary restrained forms of speech is that of
Research Work on Plague.
Medical research work can point to nothing more brilliant than the
demonstration of the fact that bubonic plague is primarily a disease of
rats, and man becomes affected in a secondary way by the agency of fleas.
It is to be counted as an achievement that not only have rats and fleas
been shown to be practically the only agents in the spread, but the
particular rat and the particular flea have been identified and the
innocent criminals, if one may so describe them, are those which have been
shown on the screen. One is tempted to dwell on this subject and refer to
the many interesting developments in this particular field of work. The
careful and brilliant work of Captain W. Glen Liston, of the Indian
Medical Service, who with such simple materials as two small cages of flea-
proof woven-wire and two rats and some sheets of “tanglefoot” demonstrated
conclusively the role played by fleas in the transmission of bubonic
plague. Even more fascinating is the ancient history of this disease, a
study of which reveals the fact that the part played by rats was well
recognised. Let me just draw your attention to two out of the many facts
now known to us. It is accepted now that the legend of the “Pied Piper of
Hamelin” rendered familiar to us all by Browning refers to plague. You
will remember how first the rats and then the young children were
destroyed by the Piper. The other instance is the familiar one of the
taking of
The Ark of the Covenant
by the Philistines, recorded in the first book of Samuel, the 4th, 5th,
and 6th chapters. You will remember that after the Ark of the Covenant had
been taken by the Philistines a great plague fell on them, and “the hand
of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod and He destroyed them, and smote
them with emerods. Then said they, ‘What shall be the trespass offering
which we shall return to Him?’ And the priests and diviners answered,
‘Five golden emerods and five golden mice.’ The Philistines returned the
ark to the Israelites and the section of the Israelites who received it
were the men of Beth-Shemesh.” You will remember that the men of Beth-
Shemesh were “smitten” because “they had looked into the Ark of the Lord,”
and there were smitten fifty thousand three score and ten men. It is only
necessary to remind you that the Hebrew word “emerod” is the equivalent of
our modern word “bubo,” i.e., an enlarged gland, and that part of the
covering of the Ark of the Covenant was badgers’ skins, and that in Hebrew
the same word stood for rats and mice for you to at once realise that the
Philistines had a notion of the part played by rats in the dissemination
of plague. It is obvious that the badgers’ skins formed an ideal place in
which the fleas could hide during the journey from the Philistines to the
Beth-Shemites.
Martyrs to Research.
Before leaving this subject I might draw your attention to a melancholy
notice which appeared in the medical journals a month ago. Those of us
whose lot in life it is to engage in medical research work realise that
the handling of plague germs is one of the most dangerous parts of our
work. Dr. Parkinson, a brilliant young graduate of Sydney University, went
to London and took up work at the Lister Institute, deliberately choosing
the bacteriology of plague as his first field of work. He contracted the
infection and died. Not long ago Dr. Allan Macfadyen, of London, while
working with the organisms of typhoid fever, contracted the disease and
died after a painful illness. For many years—one might accurately say
centuries—the West Indies was regarded with horror by travellers of all
nations because of
Yellow Fever.
The Panama Canal was begun by a French syndicate, but it was found
necessary to abandon the undertaking because of the enormous loss of life
and the consequent expense involved. The loss of life was due almost
entirely to yellow fever and malaria. The United States Government has
begun and half completed the task, and the loss of life from these two
diseases has been small. The patient work and persevering investigation
which have made this possible constitute as fascinating a chapter in the
progress of science as any of the discoveries of electricity or radium.
For many years it was thought that malaria and yellow fever were due to
the exhalations, “miasms” as they were called, from swampy and marshy
ground, and many theories were current as to the way in which these damp
vapours acted. There were never wanting, however, men who were not
satisfied with this somewhat indefinite idea and who sought for something
more tangible. One of these, a Frenchman, Laveran by name, was the first
to show that the cause of malaria was a minute parasite which made its
home in the blood corpuscles. This parasite was always found to be present
cases of malaria, but for a long time there was no explanation of how it
got there. It was reserved for an Englishman—Ross—to show that it was
Transmitted by Mosquitoes,
and by a particular variety of mosquito only. Among many characteristics
of this variety of mosquito is one which makes it recognisable by anybody
who sees it—its position when biting, i.e., its body and head are in one
straight line, as distinct from other varieties, which have the proboscis
at right angles to the body when biting. The French have a mot which is
very familiar, “Cherchez la femme toujours. “ However applicable it may be
to the routine matters of life it is certainly true in relation to
mosquitoes—it is only the female mosquito which bites, and on the head of
that sex, therefore, mast be laid the blame of all malaria and yellow
fever. Yellow fever has now been definitely shown to be conveyed by
mosquitoes, and mosquitoes only. The actual organism that causes the
disease has been proved to be so small that it is beyond the magnifying
powers, great as they are, of our present microscopes to reveal it. The
mosquito which is responsible for this disease is a different one from the
malaria mosquito with somewhat different habits. Both varieties, by the
way, are to be found in Perth. How do we know that mosquitoes convey the
infection? I would like to take you through the steps that led up to the
conclusive demonstration of this fact, but I can only now refer to two of
the most striking examples of the readiness of the medical profession to
expose themselves to any danger to prove the truth of any theory the
substantiation of which will benefit mankind at large. Two English medical
men lived for some months in that part of the Campagna, near Rome, known
to be the most badly infected with malaria. They exposed themselves to all
the other suggested sources of malaria, but did not allow themselves to be
bitten by mosquitoes. For such time as they were not so bitten they did
not develop malaria. They then returned to England taking with them some
mosquitoes from the district, and after their return to England allowed
themselves to he bitten by these mosquitoes and they at once developed
malaria, one of them becoming seriously ill.
Self Sacrifice.
For some time the American surgeons working at Havana had thought it
likely that mosquitoes conveyed yellow fever. It was necessary to prove
this. Drs. Reed and Laxear [sic] and some privates in the American Army
volunteered to allow themselves to be bitten by mosquitoes which were
known to have bitten yellow fever patients. They all developed the
disease, and as a result Dr. Lazear—a most brilliant medical man—died
within a few days. I referred just now to Drs. Parkinson and Macfadyen,
who died from plague and typhoid respectively, and have now spoken of Dr.
Lazear, who died from yellow fever. A host of others could be named who
have contracted diseases and recovered. Dr. Dean, under whom I had the
privilege of working at the Lister Institute, in London, was patiently
investigating one of the most difficult problems in connection with
typhoid fever when I left London. Soon afterwards I received word that he
had narrowly escaped death as a result of infection contracted from some
of the material with which he was working. Throughout his whole illness he
kept one of his assistants busy taking his blood and other specimens in
order that such a good opportunity might not be lost. There can be
imagined no greater heroism than that shown by these men. They knew the
danger, and deliberately making preparations against their possible death
they calmly faced lingering illness and death
For the Sake of Humanity at Large.
There is no Victoria Cross for these men, there is not even a Royal Human
Society’s medal, there is merely the knowledge that they are doing what
the conceive to be a duty. Theirs is heroism of the best kind. I cannot
refrain from bringing forward another example. As you know, sleeping
sickness is now ravaging the whole of Central and Western Africa. The
disease is an extremely protracted one. Full use of the mental faculties
is enjoyed for a long while after the nature of the disease has become
undoubted, then a gradually increasing lethargy ensues, tailing off into
continuous sleep or unconsciousness, which lasts day and night until death
ends all suffering. Dr. Tulloch went to West Africa to investigate this
disease and most unfortunately became himself a victim, but not before he
had succeeded in demonstrating the organism which was the cause. He
returned to England, and after months of illness, throughout a[ll] of
which he knew that his disease was incurable, he ultimately died.
The Sleeping Sickness.
The cause of this a minute organism which is found in the blood and in the
fluid which is present in the spi[nal] canal and is called a tdypanosome.
The disease is conveyed from man to man [by] a biting fly—the Glossina
palpalis—wh[ich] bites first on infected person and subsequently a healthy
person, and so [per]petuates the malady. All round shores [the] of the
Mediterranean there [?] for many years the disease now known as
Mediterranean or Malta Fever.
This disease was an infectious fever which, by its invasion of the navy
and army, led to much illness and death. Its cause for years was quite
obscure until Colonel Sir David Bruce—a member of the Royal Army Medical
Corps—discovered that the minute germ which caused the disease was to be
found in the goats’ milk which was freely supplied to the troops. A
careful examination of the goats in Malta, where this discovery was made,
revealed the fact that about 90 per cent. of the goats were suffering
front the disease, and that this was the sole cause of the fever which so
seriously affected the human population of Malta. The use of goats’ milk
was prohibited, and from that time onwards fever practically ceased to
exist. I can now only refer briefly to two other diseases in which
The Agency of Lower Animals
is manifest. Kala-Azar is a disease which chiefly affects North-Eastern
India and severely attacks the native population. It has been shown to be
conveyed from one to the other by bed-bugs. Relapsing fever—a severe and
prolonged fever which has been known for many centuries, has recently been
shown to be due to a minute corkscrew organism—a spirillium as it is
called—which inhabits the blood stream. The disease has now been shown to
be due to the agency of the body louse, which, feeding on an infected and
then on a healthy person, easily conveys the organism.
My theme to-night has been the unity and indivisibility of Nature. On this
central idea I have endeavoured to fasten your attention. I have tried to
show you how the explanation of one natural phenomenon is to be looked for
in some other perhaps infinitely remote part of the scheme of Nature. If
we desire an explanation of why beer is formed from malt we look for the
yeast, why vinegar from sugar, another yeast, why honeycomb is badly
formed we look for the moth, why trees have unsightly knobs we look for
the worm inside, why silkworms die we look for the bacteria, why lambs
cough we inspect the lungs for parasitic worms, why apples rot we look for
the parasite, and so on throughout the whole realm of Nature. I have
pointed out that sheep, horsehair, house flies, various kinds of
shellfish, cattle, pigs, rats, fleas, mosquitoes, goats, biting flies, bed-
bugs, and body lice all play their part in the dissemination of human
disease. This by no means exhausts the list, for no mention has been made
of hydatid disease conveyed by dogs, and many other less familiar
examples. I think, however, enough has been said to illustrate the main
argument. The wonderful feature about it is that all this was entirely
unsuspected thirty years ago. I had intended to speak of other branches of
medicine and surgery where equally
Marvellous Progress has been Made,
but the field was found to be too wide. If there be any who might be
inclined to ask “Has there been any practical result fro [sic] mall [sic]
this?” such may be easily answered. On entering the Pasteur Institute two
things at once attract attention—a bibulous and somewhat overfed concierge
whose gracious permission is necessary before one can enter, and a statue
on the left of the entrance. The statue represents a youth strangling a
mad dog with a whiplash. The story is a pretty one. A young girl was being
attacked by a mad dog, and the youth ran to her rescue. He was severely
bitten, but succeeded in strangling the dog. The unromantic concierge is
the hero of this romantic story, and was the first case of hydrophobia
cured by Pasteur’s remarkable discovery. Since that time hydrophobia has
had no terror. The table shown sets out the results of medical research on
three diseases. The figures speak for themselves:—
Malta Fever (the Garrison at Malta.)—1904, 320 cases; 1905, 643 cases;
*1906, 161cases; 1907, 11 cases; 1908, 2 cases.
Diphtheria.—Case mortality—1894, 45.1 per cent.; 1898, 1.94 per cent.
Yellow Fever. —Havana—1900-1, 308 cases, 74 deaths; 1901-2, 8 cases, 2
deaths.
*June, 1906, goats’ milk prohibited.
As a result of the realisation of the unity of Nature the whole system of
medical treatment has been profoundly modified. The fluxes, purges, and
leeches of the middle ages are unknown, and the whole problem of the
treatment of disease has now become a
Study of Nature’s Methods
and an attempt—often brilliantly successful—to imitate Nature’s own of
working. I need not remind you of the treatment of bacterial diseases by
the deliberate injection of the bacteria themselves suitably modified, or
of the use of antitoxins in imitation of the body processes, or of the
prevention of malaria by destroying mosquitoes—all these are familiar
enough. Man has begun the gigantic task of reducing to order the chaotic
warfare of organism against organism that is ceaselessly occurring through
Nature, and though some have laid down their lives in the work, yet the
results have been unspeakably successful.
I have shown on the screen three photographs of medical men, and would
call your attention to the fact that one is [En]glish, one French, and one
German. [The] present English Minister for Foreign [?] stated the other
day that during [?] administration several important [?]congresses had
been held, [?]thout exception they had all been [?] to the treatment and
prevention [?] [?]se. It is unnecessary to labour [?] [?]ect of my
subject.
[?] [?]tify the title of this lecture it [?] claimed that if it is right
to [?] the destruction of more than [?] by tearing down the pillars of [?]
of Gaza then it is not too [?] the word “romance” when [?] salvation of
millions of [?] [?]aring down of the pillars [?] of Tradition and
Supersti[on]....
more...
Author: Ride, W. D. L. (William David Lindsay), 1926-2011; Butler, Harry (William Henry), 1930-2015; Tedford, Richard H.
Call no: FN212
Year: 17 Aug - 8 Sept. 197
Archives
more...
> 17th August (Monday)
Kalgoorlie R.F.D. Base saw John Flower and got scheds. 0730 1545.
Arranged a sched with Ruth or Eric at 1530 today to give place & E.T.A.
Left R.F.D. Base at 11.00
Drove through Kalgoorlie, down the Boulder Rd. to the Trans line. Took left fork to Boulder Block Hotel, turned hard left around Hotel then hard right around post office following road to Lakewood. End of bitumen between mullock heaps. passed left fork to Golden Ridge. Turned off hard left signpost Condeela, Randalls[?], Karonie.
Kalgoorlie R.F.D. Base saw John Flower and got scheds. 0730 1545.
Arranged a sched with Ruth or Eric at 1530 today to give place & E.T.A.
Left R.F.D. Base at 11.00
Drove through Kalgoorlie, down the Boulder Rd. to the Trans line. Took left fork to Boulder Block Hotel, turned hard left around Hotel then hard right around post office following road to Lakewood. End of bitumen between mullock heaps. passed left fork to Golden Ridge. Turned off hard left signpost Condeela, Randalls[?], Karonie.
Karonie, Coonana, Zanthus.
Kildana. Start of Kanandah fence to south[?]. Lime kilns. Got in touch with Ruth at 3.30 and they collected a lot of small lizards and some snakes, all under bit of wood - more under tin.
Drove in the Kandandah. Ruth and Eric all at home, Susie inepiasible as ever. Ruth and Eric well, delighted to see them. They have had a very poor season. Carrying about 30,000 from the 40 ooo of two years ago. An excellent wool clip last year but only 3 inches so far.
Had a most pleasant evening to bed at 9.30, a very cold night. How nice to have a good bed.
Told Eric about the Wedgetail sitting on the fence post about 10 ft. from four half-grown lambs which were watching it (it was measuring dinner[?]) - we drove over and it flew off & as it did so the lambs moved forward in concert. Eric tells of an Eagle he watched in Qld. which struck a half-grown roo but he was too slow as the on the ground so he made repeated air strikes tumbling[?] over the swinging[?] kangaroo each time until he killed it.
> 18th August 1970 (Tuesday)
Kanandah, put in 12 gals.
Trainline, stopped at gate & collected Gymnodactylus milii under sleeper.
Sleeper, collected Heteronotia binoei and Mus musculus underneath.
Rawlinna.
Abandoned camp. Collected under sleepers and rocks H. binoei, and a small Asleplous[?] elegans. This was the place where Butler previously collected S. murina under sleepers. Fantastically unlikely for murina ! Took photos [C6524, 5]. Trachysaurus rugosus on track. Very rugose like a pine cone. Collected.
Haig. Stopped for lunch in a little patch of Casuarina. Very pleasant in the sun. Wind died a bit and no longer bitterly cold. Photographed Gymnodactylus [C6626,7] and also the Trans train which came through while we were lunching [C6628]. All people sitting in the Diner. We were probably more comfortable than they - at any rate would not have swapped !
Nurina. Stopped to turn over sleepers, collected a couple of geckoes Phyllodactylus (laminated toes, bifid pad, claw on each digit - Gelya has non bifid pad & no claw on inner digit - Butler's diagnostics), Heteronotia binoei.
Road very rough indeed milage scarcely 20 mph much of the time.
Loongana. Very slow progress. Decided to camp for the night before the light goes. Camped in a little clump of "dead finish" Acacia (? aphylla) and desert willows Pittosporum (will collect seed).
Collected wolf spiders, running on the ground. Some salt and blue bush, Temp. 53*F.
> 19th August 1970 (Wednesday)
Camped 9.3 E. of Loongana. A good night, fairly warm, cloud coming up, wind shifted fr. N into due West. Off at 0810.
Butler found a small Ablepharus butleri under a stone. Collected a bag of seeds of native willow Pittosporum which I must try to grow.
Mundrabilla Siding. Small sprinkle of rain at intervals but little risk of it developing.
Stopped at a donga to photograph an Acacia [C6629] collected a few of the very scarce and small puffball flowers. Phyllodes and twisted..
Forrest. Posted letters to M & Jim. Crossed to south of track, stopped at Gurney [?] near Reid for lunch - looked for fossils in fissure fils[?] nothing.
Reid. Track comes off for airfield. Collected Tympanocryptus running , went under a stone.
XD140 Benchmart, Lands & Surveys WA.
Harry's diagram of cave. The cave has a compacted earth floor & scraps of bone, easy to get into. No evidence of H. sap. but flakes collected on surface within 1 mile of cave. Worth excavation someday.
Investigated cave alongside road (to east). Harry collected bones of Perameles, Leporillus, Dasycereas, a small macropod, 2 small Drymidae, Notys?, Pseudemys. Collected Trapdoor spider, no door on brow but copious silk sleeve. Unfortunately burro between stues & destroyed in excavating it. Collected land shells 3spp.& slater.
Bad mark XD155.
Camped among myalls to the west of the track. Collected Huntsman spider T50F, 3/4 moon on the wane. Turned in at 10.00 pm. Few meals around. Saw a couple of rabbits along the trans line & two foxes. Country very poor. Salt and bluebush in reasonable condition but grass all black & grey. No water anywhere. Red kangaroo & ten greys as we entered the myall zone at 87.9.
> 20th August (Thursday)
Camped in myall, a good night. Cold morning west gone road to N.W. Off at 8.10, only 140 m. yesterday, must make Ceduna tonight. Eucla. Put in 15 3/4 gals super, gauge showing empty, 302.2 m. since Kanandah average 18.8 mpg.
S.A. / W.A. border mallee & saltbush. Wombat holes on Nullarbor Stn. in saltbush, took some photos and collected land snails and a wombat palate & teeth. The holes are common between mileposts 28 and 26 to Nullarbor Homestead.
Nullarbor Homestead turnoff, collected bobtail on road just past the turnoff. Myall comes in again after a stretch of the plain which started before the wombat holes (although there was scattered Myall there).
Ivy Tanks.
Start of the Yalata reserve: Bluebush, Eucalypts (woolly butts) and myall. First wheat starts after cleared grazing in open myall and eucalypt "parkland" for some miles.
Fuel pump at Nindroo, Fowlers Bay turn off.
Wolf spider in hole under stone in a small roadside "reserve". Collected.
Penong fuel 15 gals average 18.6 mpg. Ceduna X road.
Stayed in Poochera to phone in. All well at home. Seds a bit off colour but Jim's operation seems to be successful. Dark 8.15 and cold.
Turnoff main road at Minnipa to go south to find camp in the dark. Find a place behind a small belt of trees and off the road. After meal wrote decisions in cases for International Commission until about 11.00 pm, to bed, cold & windy. Harry got some spiders.
> 21st August (Friday)
Camped 5 miles south of Minnipa in a small clump of eucalypts at a bend in the road among paddocks of wheat. A nice morning. Alice Springs sched starts at 8.00 on 5410, can hear perfectly well, off at 0840.
Back on Eyre Highway, Kimba 18 1/4 gals.
Drove on to Port Augusta across country which at first was mallee rather like Lake Grace but soon became less strong and then changed to myall, sheoak, bluebush/saltbush. Finally coming up to the Middleback Range before Iron Knob to the south of Lake Giles the country might virtually be a cross between the flats between the Wooramel and Brown Range of the Nullarbor. come through the Middleback Range the country gets even worse until Port Augusta reached.
Port Augusta left Hwy with vehicle after lunch to get 4000 miles service done & roofrack welded where it had fractured. Went to the Public Library where the girls let me wash before handling books ! I then worked on Commission business and got it posted.
Drove out into the Flinders Ranges to Quorn and camped on a tributary of Willochra Creek just north of Gordon [Kanyaka Creek 6m. S. of Wilson]
Camped in rain. Got the fly up - leaks ! Bats flying low and very fast. Spotlighted while Harry shot. He collected a Tadarida australis, male, wt:37gr, H & B 84 mm, T.V. 49mm, H.I 10 mm, E26mm, forearm 62 mm (wt & measurements taken by Butler). A beautiful chocolate brown with a well marked golden pouch with raised globular rim (bone) and with two dense clusters of marvellous rich brown chocolate hair which, when wanted for the pouch stood up like two dense bristly fans. Photographed pouch b&w. A male trapdoor walked into the tent & onto Harry's leg ! Collected. T.52* a very fine wolf spider about in the rain.
> 22nd August (Saturday)
Rained hard all night. Was awakened about 03.30 and did not sleep much after that. Fly leaks and water splashing in my face.Sound of running water gave me some concern that we would have difficulty in getting up the bank out of this valley - but looked better in daylight! Still raining , but much more lightly during breakfast, which was leisurely. Harry collected a Pardelote.
Rail coming at Wilson [Halt]
Hawker[?]. Still raining but asked a bus driver who had just driven down the Wilpena Pound road what it was like. He said slippery but we would have no bother. Country very interesting. Callitris in hills rather like European hill scenery with firs. Triodia starts among the Callitris and bluebush eucalypts along the creeks looking like silver birch. Stopped at a flat with callitris and grass alongside the road at the foot of Rawnsley Bluff and opposite Moongarie Gap. Dry out spiders.[C6633].
Turned off into Wilpena Pound turnoff. The view is incredibly beautiful pastoral scenery. The Chalet is a privately owned property & camping area. Tents among the trees. Drove into the area and then walked up into the pound by the tourist track. A wonderful isolated woodland of tall eucalypts. Photographs [C6635-36]. Dry out 3 trapdoor spiders, more photos into the entrance of the Pound[C6701-2]. Stopped raining.
Back at main road.Through heavily-grazed hill country, Reds and Euros grazing, rabbits and fox.
Blinman, an isolated hill town. Drove down the road to Mt Mary and Parachilna. A very beautiful and spectacular descent high hosting defiles. Rocky and dry[C6703]. Harry shot a rabbit. Saw several Euros. Down into the mud and desolate plains at the foot - to Parachilna 4002.6. Camped on Green Well Creek, collected spiders. Tadarida flying. V. cold.
> 23rd August (Sunday)
Camped in Greenwell Creek 7 miles N. of Parachilna. The creek's a rock strewn bed lined by quite tall rivergums and flowing along the top of a crest. Coming into it last night, up hill from Parachilna, I found it difficult to believe it was a creek at all.
An excellent night and lovely morning, clouds are still hanging around the Flinders and there is light cloud cover as a front passes over - but not enough to keep the sun off.
Country bare with low sand - looks badly eaten out. Breakfast-Time Creek is a lovely name in a dreadful area of eaten out country ; some of the most desolate I have seen.
Beltana - dreadful. Trying to make living on tourists in hopeless country.
Arrived at Leigh Creek township. An incredible place in such desolation. Sealed roads, brickbuilt houses, green trees and a little park with green lawns and wonderful flowering trees filled with birds.
Went to the police station (Sgt Marple & Const Cavanaugh) who say that the trees in park were Disto Lothian at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Wish that Bond had turned his energy to this sort of thing in W.A. Sgt Marple's boy is a keen fossil rock collector & hopes to be a geologist. Harry gaven him advice on Physics, Chemistry & Maths.
Drove back to Copley and fuel 14 1/2 gals - 15 mpg. Stopped for lunch in the bed of Leigh Creek. Dug out scorpions, Harry showed an excellent technique with water for folling tiosty burrows.
Went back to Leigh Creek and tried to phone Grant Inglis in Adelaide to find out why they had not turned up. No luck. Police advised checking with Johnny Akbar in Copley whether the Crusers were still out at Callabonna on Moolawatana stn. Went & checked and found out they were still there so decided to go back to Leigh Creek until 3.30 and then if they didn't want to go on out to Moolawatana to contact Michael Sheehan - manager. Did this and left message with Const. Cavanaugh to pass on to Grant. Tel from Briston : Collecting N.T. O.K. fuel Warburton O.K.
Leave Leigh Creek. Turn off at Copley on East. Passed Mt. Searl turnoff. This is incredibly desolate hill country almost completely bare of vegetation. [C6705] . Nepabunna Mission, houses in good condition, a school. Wooltana H.S. in the plain at the N side of the range. country beautiful plains - quite good condition.
Camped in Arkaroola Crk. 6.4 m. N.E. of Wooltana H.S. Collected spiders T 54*F a nice (comparatively) warm evening. Pleasant sitting around the fire writing.
The general impression I get of this country is of incredibly desolate, thrashed saltbush country to the West of the Flinders Range which lies like a dividing rampart NpS through the country. he range itself has been destroyed by pastoral activity but is picturesque desolation with adits here & there. Very rough rather reminiscent of Nullagine and the Warraweena[?] series. And then over the other side, quiet plains in much better condition, apparently better watered, with good trees along numerous creeks feeding out of the range. Good grasses. Why do so many of the creeks on the other side (ie the West) seem to flow along the tops of ridges ?!
Telegram at Leigh Creek
"RIDE. COLLECTING; PERMIT APPROVED DARWIN COPY AVAILABLE ONCE NO REPLY YET ADELAIDE STOP FUEL OKAY WARBURTON NO REPLY GILES AM CABLING AGAIN REGARDS BANNUTER"
> 24th Aug. 1970 (Monday)
Camped at Arkaroola Creek. A beautiful night, windy in the middle of the night but woke to a still clear morning. Warm enough to sit comfortably in a pullover. Listened to Alice Springs sched, nothing for us, off at 0850. After leaving creek took 2 photos back at Creek & range [C6706] and Right ls of Range.[C6707]. Then stopped while Harry walked up a couple of quail thrushes of which he collected are - a very beautiful pale bird rising between little tussocks and small bushes, male.
[C6708] Creek and hills across gibber and sandy plain. N. Mulga (entrys). N. Mulga Homestead. Moolawatana H.S. a beautiful modern Homestead. The home paddock is full of bush but the rest is desolation. Met a young geologist and wife who were mapping the area. They told us where Tedford and party were working. We then met a truckdriver who also gave us a road map, v. useful in relation to mills and fences [see over]. Drove out to Tedford's camp and on the way were caught up by the rest of the party.
Grant Inglis S. A. Museum
Paul Lawson S.A. Museum
Jim Warren Monash
Mike Plane Bureau Of Mineral Resources
Alan Bartholomai Queensland Museum
We then followed Paul into the camp, a desolate wind-blasted spot. They have a caravan and two bedrooms[?] with open backs. They had left a note for us to come out to the lake so we had lunch and then drove out on their tracks to the lake. The site is fantastic. Skeletons outcropping on the surface into a ventenesd[?] zone of gypsum and sands below this a blue clay interbedded with thin sands and then going into sand at 2ft6 to 3 ft in most places. The skeletons are all in the grey clay except where deflation has brought them into the weathered zone. Took numerous photos, went for Side 4 ; where they were working to a place where Diprotodon trackings were visible on the surface. These arplute explicable as follows :
[Sketch] [blue clays] "bioturbation" (Tedford's name)
The deflation removes the less compact material and leaves the actual treads. Took photos. Aso took photos of giant bird remains as well as concentrations of clay[?] stones.Drove to Side 1 where Tedford demonstrated the sequence of beds which were Upper sands, Upper clay, with Emu[?], smaller birds, fish otalites, then an apparent disinfinity with the Diprotodon-bearing clays break down. The only aquatic animals in these lower beds are Coriellas. So Tedford believes that these were saline at the time of deposition. He also believes that the distortion of the skeleton is due to "bioturbation" - or simply animals walking on each other !
Sand blowing like hell - really a wretched place. They say that this is the worst day they have had.
Back to camp to an excellent dinner cooked by Paul Lawson.
After yarning with the party went out and collected spiders. Strong wind. T54*F.
Mudmap to site of camp on Woolatchi Creek.
> 25th Aug 1970 (Tuesday)
Camp on Woolatchi Creek, Lake Callabonna. Up at dawn after a very windy night, but slept v. well. drove to Homestead and filled with fuel.
Homestead. Took northwards road through Lyndhurst cb house. Incredibly desolate country here. All the bush and most of the larger shrubs have been killed leaving only Mitchell Grass as the staple. Mile Shean says that they have had no rain for 2 years and that he is down to 6,000 head from 12,000 - obviously that is too much.
Mt Fitton H.S.
Signpost "Talc Mine 3 miles" on turnoff to our right. Photo[C6801] of typical desolation.
Mt. Freeling H.S. An old camp with incredible stone corral and post & rail fence - photos :[C3802, 03] collected - few bib of worthwhile gear.
Farina. Incredible place - "On western plains where shade is not.." [C3804,5]
Maree [Marree ?] Fuel 171/2 gals to fill. Sent Telegram to Jim on his birthday, "Many happy returns of the day All going well Love Dad". Ran into Warren Bonython. Incredible place to meet one's friends ! He was going to look at a new National Park at Lake Eyre North.
On the Birdsville Track.
Clayton Bore. Camped by the bore stream. Collected a good series of spiders. Saw in the water (a large black water spider) a few small greenish ones in bushes but not on the sand. T 56* F, Slight showers.
> 26th August 1970 (Wednesday)
Camped at Clayton Bore. Up before dawn. Harry started the day well by lamping into a Sminthopsis crassicaudata [WR218] as it had the misfortune to walk within the circle of lamplight - Incredible performance.
Hayes Hill where Dick researches[?] the contact between the Cretaceous Blanchewater Fn. and the Lower Testing Murnpeowie Fn. and the relation of test to the "silicated Dricrest"[?] the feral crugent [?] at the place.
Sketch of silicated land forms e.g. Hays Hill.
The Blanchewater is probably the equivalent of the Winton Fri [?] which contains dinosaurs The Murnpeowie is probably the equivalent of the Plutagents, M. contains plant impressions in the silcrete near Hays Hill.
[C6806,7] Dick Tedford study on the Basal beds of the Murnpeowie [C6808,9] Mike Plane standing in one section showing the deflated gibbers on the top.
[C6810,11]A good shot of Hays Hill showing how the contact mantles a basin in the Blanchewater Fn. Sketch of [C6810,11] : the dip of the Blanchewater is about 13* to the NW into the basin which is filled with the Etadunna Fm. The Winton Fm. shows up in a bore underlying the Etadunna Fm.
[C6812] Sketch : Geological map of the area.
Unfortunately the contact between the Etadunna Fm. and the Murnpeowie do not show on the surface. Outcrop on side of road seems to be Murnpeowie Fm.
Cannuwankaninna Bore. Stopped here and had a bath while the Holden went up to Etadunna Station Homestead. Camped in under the lee of a large Dune in the Cooper (between it and L. Palankarinna) M.R. 66435. Reached SW. corner of lake to look at the contact between the Cretaceous and the Etadunna Fm with the B.M.R. and the S.A. Mines Dept.
The Etadunna fm here lies on top of a silveted[?] and ladinized[?] horizon which Dick says is typical of the lowest[?] horizon of a massive[?] denicrest[?]. Mary Lindsay (S.A. Mines) points out that there is similar silcected[?] Nullarbor bestie[?] at Lake Pidinga N. of Yalata Mission on the track to Watson.) The least[?] part of the Etadunna Fm. is Dolomitic limestone with Both-like gastropods and some Rhaggada-like shells. Collected a good swag. On top of this is the remnant of gibbers which Dick believes is transported[?] from an adjacent area of limestone.
Sketch.
Photographed a channel of Katapiri cut into the Etadunna Fm.[C6815] Moved along the W. side of the lake and looked at typical exposures of the 3 fms present here.
[C6819] Sketch looking west Tirari
C6820 looking north [C6821] [C6822] Sketch Katapiri, Tirari, Etadunna, note that the Tirari has been pinched out with the Katapiri cut into the Etadunna fm. Tedford points out that the Tirari overlies the Mampuwordu but not the Katapiri. It is not known what the relationship with Wipijiri is (this is only known at Ngapakaldi) T. does not believe that Tirari is the lateral equivalent of the Wipajiri Tirari is not fossiliferous anywhere.
C6823 Taken at the top of the syncline where the Etdunna is thickest [Sketch] Tirari , Dolomitic limestone of the top of the Etadunna.
C6827, 28 Lawson Quarry, a Mumpuwordu channel in the Etadunna overlain by Tirari.
C6829 Keane Quarry: - note the ?ypcrete in the Tirari above the contact.
Started to look for fossils and found a lot of scrap bone from the Etadunna. Fantastically rich. Paul found some teeth with a curious sclandent[?] fn of two sets of 3 cusps.[6824 after excavation]
Started back to camp. Camp alongside the large N.S. dune.
Collected spiders. A very warm night with an incredible sandstorm which got out in the night and could have torn everything to shreds if we had had tents.
> 27th August (Thursday) 1970
Camp at Palankarinna in lee of the dunes on west side of lake. We collect the teeth and mandible found by Paul Lawson yesterday. Photos of mandible in situ.[C6824]. Photos down the line of exposures looking south [C6825]. Photo [C6826] looking across the lake to the Dricrusted[?] sediments to fossils which Dick believes the Silcrete[?] clants in the sediments are derived C6826,27 See notes of previous day.[error in transcribing fm pencil notes]. Drove back to camp for lunch after collecting all moving. Sched. [6832] Landrover in Dunes on my way back to camp. Perth 3.48 pm. 25th Dr Ride 8WNX
PERMIT GRANTED SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES AND FOR COLLECTING ON R1028 SELF BUTLER STOP COLLECT AUTHORIZATION SUPERINTENDENT DOCKER RIVER NO WORD YET GILES HAVE REQUESTED SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES CONTACT YOU DIRECT BANNISTER.
C6829 Shows the Mampuwordu sands in quarry face.
C6830 Same scene of above / Tiari Hand pointing , say where D M ends.
Yellow gohere of Mampuwordu Sands, Etadunna in hole.
C6831 Dipnotodited plate in situ.
Set off for Lake Kanunka. Passage up the broad valley to the Cooper.
Cooper Creek photo C6828
Continued along Cooper to a point recognised by Tedford as been away northwards up a dune valley wth a seismic track running along it with shot holes. Lake Kanunka, excellent exposures of sediment.
Camped at the foot of a large bluff - the eastern side of the lake. Very cold night. Too tired to collect. Harry went out and got some spiders while I talked palaeontology. On the way up the country was very impressive little vegetation and almost no signs of water. A beautiful little mob of brumbies came down and investigated the convoy of Landrovers and galloped along waiting about 23-25mph for several miles. V. impressive. Dunes about 20-30 ft high, fairly well vegetated except the crests.
> 28th August 1970 (Friday)
Camped at Lake Kanunda. Up at 5 am, dreadfully cold. The Sminthopsis had died in the night. A female with large teats but no young. Preserved in formalin [WR218] F. Sminthopsis crassicaudata centralis, very large ears (rather like lirtipes) tail, invanited but not fat, white patches behind the ears very marked. Ears without the the distinct dark triangle of sunken S. crassicaudata. Tail shorter than H and B., feral colour a display four al white indourifers.
Clayton Bore shown on Birdsville Track between Marree and Etadunna H.S. ; W.H.Butler by hand, HB. 80, HF16, FA19, TV68, F22. Photographed the stratigraphy at the camp site. C6824,35 Sketch.
Collected for the scree of Katapiri, very rich indeed.
C6836,37 C6838 Map of the Etadunna localities. Scheds.
1. ADELAIDE RIDE : SCIENTIFIC PERMIT TO COLLECT PROTECTED FAUNA EXCLUDING RARE SPECIES RECOMMENDED TO MINISTER WILL DESPATCH TO PERTH OLSEN
2. PERTH RIDE : SUGGEST YOU CONTACT GILES DIRECT THEIR ADDRESS OUTPOST ALICE SPRINGS BANNISTER
Drove north along the lake then out to Lake Pitikanta, a remarkable lake with excellent exposures of Etadunna fm. Saw how whole skeleton Dyprotodontidae were collected on earlier expeditions where driver presence is indicated by signs of surface bane.
Mandible of small Dyprotodon Ngapakaldia as found by weating pattern.
General view of above. Etadunna fm with tigia and a Katzini channel in mesa background. Another skeleton revealed by ducertution.
5 skeletons revealed in valley. Mandible 04 excavated and shellac added. Plaster badged for removal. Had lunch and then drove back to Lake Ngapakaldi.
Very unimpressive. Low exposures on the Eastern side. An island in the middle and the Western side have better exposures but no vertebrate fossil locs. C6810 general scene of exposures. Walked northwards for a little bluff midway along the Southern side of the lake and came to the Wipajiri loc. This is a very strange locality walked by small clasts reaching out into the beach. They found it by avere and some turtle bones which weakened out. They then put in a trench and find that it was a channel rising parallel to the beach and below the present surface: it is in the Etadunna but there is no Tirari fms to give superimprintual control ? Where does it come in the sequence ? The fauna is very strange indeed. the channel enters Etadunna clasts. Is there some possibility that the channel is itself laid down in Etadunna times and not post-Etadunna ?
Clasts on the beach.
Clasts of fossil plants (Detail)
Drove up into the dunes to find a little valley for the night. The evening started warm 67*F - collected spiders & wrote up diary. Got cold by 11.00. To bed.
> 29th August 1970 (Saturday)
Camped at Lake Ngapapaldi. Left to drive south via Pitikanta to pick up the mandible in plaster block. Dick Tedford and Mike Plane decided to go north with the Bureau party to investigate some as yet unexplored lakes which had good exposures in the photos. Left at 0810 after sched and sent RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH LEAVING ETADUNNA TODAY ON WAY ALICE SPRINGS STOP TELL JOHN PERMITS OK LOVE DEE
Passed old well. Harry shot 2 Babblers that he is not familiar with. Took photos of the locality which is approx 1.5 m. north of Wyalta Waterhole in Cooper Creek (654448) [C690].
Cooper Creek. We joined the truck we took work at his place. We had got one dune too far east on the way back and did not have the advantage of the seismic track. [C690].
Crossing of the Cooper.
Cannuwaukaninna Bore. had a wonderful bath in hot water, washed the spilt oil off the roof of the Toyota (due to oil cans being insuffiently stood and splitting in the roof rack) and washed our clothes.
Clayton Bore. Met the others and camped for the night. Had a good talk, especially with Jim Warren. He will write to me about the need for an Australian Carbon Dating Ind. to be run on a commercial(?) basis. I have told him that I will have a go at the WAIT
> 30th August 1970 (Sunday)
Camped at Clayton Bore, said goodbye.
Started on the Birdsville Track and photographed Marree [C6916]
Marree 24 gals of super, All new supplies of vegetables and meat $9.52
Signpost Oodnadatta road.
Gate in Dog Fence.
Photo of country - very desolate Margaret Siding !
Mount Hamilton Homestead
William Creek Hotel - Turned west off the Oodnadatta road at a signpost Oodnadatta 130
Anna Creek Homestead turned left at road marked to Coober Pedy.
Gibber plain (photo[c6919].
Camped beside creek in good eucalypts, the first we have seen all day of any size. The country we have been through is very desolate and heavily grazed. For the first part (i.e. Birdsville Track - William Creek mostly "bush" or mitchell grass, very little ground cover). After William Creek a few sandhills but not much cover. After Anna Creek low vegetated dunes with extensive gibber between. Altogether very little vegetation left but enough to show that there must have been pretty good cover prior to stocking - but now virtually nothing. There does not seem to be any plant (like spinifex in Pilbara) which has taken advantage of the situation.
Blew a tyre (staked) coming into amp - Harry fixed it as well as that we did the other day. H collected spiders, a beautiful yellow one. Temp 43*, I prepared maps.
> 31st August 1970 (Monday)
Camped on creek to east of Coober Pedy. Photo [C6920] of map with Etadunna Formation locs. filled in for teaching.
0800 Sched sent.
OFFICER IN CHARGE ANIMAL INDUSTRIES BRANCH N.T.ADMIN. , ALICE SPRINGS. AM INFORMED COPY OF MY PERMIT IS WITH YOU STOP WISH TO AVOID DEVIATING THROUGH ALICE SPRINGS THROUGH KULGERA UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY PLEASE ADVISE RIDE
[C6528]Photo of Coolibahs along creek bank at camp. Spiders cone osteid (the new yellow one) in burrows about 8" degs" in sediment above creek bank. Sediments sandy gossels did not find in the soft lam. Bruno with silk-lined rim and lined with silk. Photographed spider & bread bin - also a small-chosed scorpion which we found about 12 inches down in a Trapdoor spider burrow [6521-27].
Coober Pedy. A remakable place which looks like an outback town which has been set down in the middle of a mine. Heaps of mullock all over them place, dirt roads anywhere anyone wanted to take a vehicle a cloud of dust & vehicles parked all over the place, an increddible mixture of built places (pub, post office, store etc.) as well as the traditional dugouts. Called on Eric Smith of "Aladdin's Cave"- a contact of Harry Butler's. Eric sells opals and anything else which will catch a tourist. Had coffee with him in his 11 room dugout. It cost him $20,000 dollars only a couple of years ago. He is the chairman of the Progress association. They are fighting hard for local government and were responsible for the recent clear up of some hard cases following the recent robbings and stabbing of an opal buyer. Had a few drinks with him and agreed to identify a shell for him. Fuel 16 gals supplies $4.22 (total to date $13.54).
Drove over to the rubbish tip to see if we could find any small shells which Harry found last time he was here. Nothing except 2 small boys spending a useful morning breaking bottles ! Wrote to Sunes & Kathy.
Mt. Willoughby Homestead. Oodnadatta Rd. joins from the east. Welbourn Hill. Camp in mulga on a stray plane. After we had eaten we went out and collected spiders. V. few species here but many individuals. The country here is pretty poor. For the first 70 miles north of Coober Pedy it was gibber plain with very little vegetation at all, a little low scrub here a cheae and an occasional mulga. At about 60-70 m. N. of Coober Pedy stands of mulga become common and for the next 50 or so miles one almost continues. However since then there have been alternate gibber plains & mulga. The camp is in mulga with virtually no industry - much frequented by cattle. The gibber plain surrounding it is very bare.
Approx 24 m. S. of Gibber Downs Homestead on the Coober Pedy Rd.
> 1st Sept. 1970 (Tuesday) 1st day of Spring.
Camp 24 m. S. of Granite Downs H.S.
Recd. following. RIDE 8WNX ALICE SP. PERMIT OK PROCEED DIRECTLY STOP LETTER RE EXPORT OF SPECIMENS FOLLOWING:CHIEF ANIMAL INDUSTRIES.
Sent 1.BANNISTER 284411 PERTH OMITTING ALICE SPRINGS BY ASSESSMENT N.T.A. PROCEEDING KULGERA AYRES ROCK DIRECT TODAY RIDE
2. OFFICER IN CHARGE 8SCG (GILES) ALICE SPRINGS. HAVE I PERMISSION TO REFUEL AT GILES UP TO 30 GALS 3RD SEPTEMBER RIDE DIRECTOR W.A.MUSEUM
Drove northwards, a lovely day, country badly affected by grazing.
Photo of degraded mulga country [C6933].
Granite Downs turnoff. out of fuel in tank (consumption p - 250 miles at 12 1/2 mpg : not good enough). Very nice patch of good mulga & grevillea[C6934,5].
Border of N.T./S.A.. Country still generally rather poor but rather more grass.
Victory Downs turnoff. Victory Downs. Now running a motel business, fuel 22 1/2 gals. Lunch stop. Photo of a rather nice Cassia [C6926] collected a bit too. It occurs as a rather pale green bush in sandhills.
Sched. Telegram recd. RIDE 8WNX PERTH10.12am
PERMISSION NECESSARY FROM DIRECTOR WEAPONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT TO ENTER PROHIBITED AREA INCLUDING GILES STOP FAMILY WELL STOP THEY WILL CONTACT YOU SOONEST STOP LETTER AT WARBURTON STOP REGARDS BANNISTER
Photo of Musgrave Ranges at N.E. end [C7001].
Mulga Park H.S. Looks a nice place, lovely country with excellent mulga and various shrubs including the Cassia and native poplar Codnocarpus. Good grass. Photo of road lined with native poplars [C7002].
First Triodia we have seen in the whole trip! From here on the whole plant association begins to look more familiar and typical of the Western Desert as we know it. Occasional sandhills, grasses and spinifex seeding. Plenty of water, Euros in rocky places.
Mt Connor looking as striking as I expected from the air [C7003]
Curtin Springs, Mrs Dawn Severis (husband Peter away), a motel & petrol station. Dawn very pleasant to us, gave us a cup of tea (she was a Qld friend of Harry Butler who visited with the U.S. Exped. and also with Rolf Harris) and let us have a shower. Very nice. Felt well dressed afterwards despite lack of ironing. At least our clothes did not call attention to us. A busload of schoolgirls (from Melburne S.C.E.G.G.S.) had broken down there (50 tourist buses a day!) - schoolgirls are rather more attractive than I remember!
Camp. Went spider collecting T. 52*F, very few individuals about. None in the dune. Shot a rabbit with the .410 pistol. Got one Lialis burtonis being not spinifex, H. shot a Tadarida australis in the firelight! m. [WR219], ivB 85 mm, TV 47 mm, HF12 mm., E 29 gm., forearm 55 mm., Wt. 34 gms., gulmar pouch of moderately developed Hairs in two tufts but not bristle or strikingly rich brown as in [217]
> 2nd Sept 1970 (Wednesday)
Camp 6m. w. of Curtin Springs in mulga in a slight clay flat with desert oaks and mulga. A sandhill behind, some spinifex. [C7004] First photos of Ayres Rock. Sched 1 recd DR RIDE 8WNX WEAPONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT SALISBURY S.A. SUGGEST YOU PICK UP FUEL AT DOCKER RIVER AS GILES IS NOT SET UP TO SUPPLY FUEL AND IS IN ANY CASE A RESTRICTED AREA. WEAPONS SALISBURY
Ayres Rock Warden's Office & letter box. Talked to Derek Roth, Curator of the Rock (Ranger). They are having real problems over controlling people and keeping them in camping areas and on roads. They had 27,000 last year and 15 tourist buses a day at present. His offsider is Ian Carwood and Lance ?. He was particularly bitter about so-called naturalists etc who seem to think that they need special treatment. He gave an example of a group from the University of Adelaide who were not aware that they needed permits. He is an ex-policeman from Nairobi and seems competent.
Collected owl pellets, and bones from ambast in a ledge.
Met Dave Simpson and (aboriginal) wife Trixie, he is a motor mechanic and is trying to get set up at the Rock. He is performing unofficially under canvas (a camp - with corrugated iron under the canvas!) and has a small museum of artifacts. He would like to get some lainduley points.
8.00 left Rock.
Took a lot of photos round the Rock and also over towards Olgas. Desert oaks lovely. Left circular track in the NW of Mt. Olga, joined Giles track [C7014] last photo at Mt Olga, joined Giles track at Nat. Park sign. Collected Ampliboleus inernis in flat burrow after it ran across the road. Collected noteu.
Armstrong Creek. Photographed beefwood and blackwood on the flat (beefwood's a drooping Acacia, bloodwood is a Eucalypt) [C7018]
Camp on the edge of a dune 6 miles east of the Irving Creek crossing on the Giles Road. Sandhill alive with small mammal tracks. Set all the Elliott traps (20) and also set about 26 breakbacks. Went out in the evening to look for spiders, again very few induviduals here T.55*F. Collected a gecko as well. Back in camp H. shot a Nycticeius in the spotlight. [WR220] Nycticeius , H B 53 mm., Ear 13mm., TV37 mm. forearm 35mm. HF 8 wt 10 gm. The bats are flying low over a profusely flowering Acacia, very difficult photo, they were so close. The Acacia is a lovely white-stemmed little tree (?shrub) about 8ft. tall.[C7019].
Very tired, I don't know why because we rose late and have not done much today. To bed at 10.30
> 3rd Sept. (Thursday)
Camped on the Westward facing of a sandhill 6 miles East of Irving Creek. Mulga on the flat, spinifex and grass on the sandhill with flowering acacias and a few mallee-form Eucalypts with broad leaves. Trapped one Notomys alexis f. [WR221] H & B 98, E 24, O+2=4, tv139, Wt 36 g , Hf 32, Incisors not grooved. Made him a stall. Gular pouch a rather confusing feature. It is a whorl of white hairs with a bare area in the centre. When the animal is relaxed it looks like a pouch but when it is examined closely & stretched it can be seen that there is barely enough of a raised rim to call it a pouch Nevertheless there is little doubt that it is alexis. The book might be improved by the words "(sometimes a saucer-like depression of bare skin)" inserted after "pouch". Pregnant 4 foetuses approx 18 x 13 in utero. Note: When the animal was skinned the pouch showed as a thin window-like area in the throat. The creamy white hair of the actual area also shows through the skin. Both areas are separate [C7020] locality of N. alexis (sandhill). Holes common, tracks everywhere.
Photos of the two eucalypts of the country. Collected species for honesis Blackwell [C7021,2] opposite leaved small fruit.(mallee form but also as a tree about 40 ft high).[C7023,4] alternate leaved bigger fruits.
Small rock cistern on side of road in a low outage of granite. Typical Desert rockhole bad dry and not maintained.
A tree of Duboisia hopwoodi, Pitcheri, about 10 ft tall [C7025, 6, 7,8] also a mob of about 20 camels.
[C7028] photo of the edge of the Petermann country [C7030] of Bloods Range in distance. This is lovely country ; by groves of Desert oaks, some white backed Eucalypts in addition to the mallees, mulga and gidgee None of it has been grazed and there is no browse line. The grass and spinifex is in high seed and it all looks golden and wonderful.
Shaw Creek.
Chirnside River, lots of Wirlies on the flat [C7031] - deraded.
Hull River Lasseter's Cave where they found his log.[C7032,3]. A lovely place under these conditions - but woeful without hope of relief.
A grindstone and pieces of ochre on the river flats.
Petermann range - view across to the gap behind the Ruined Ramparts [C7034]. Docker River Crossing.
Docker River Settlement. Met Supt who runs it for the N. T. Administration. This is not a mission but a Govt. Welfare place. Well equipped with canares about 300 people here. Supt hopes to run cattle - this will be the end of this wonderful place. 12 gals.
Sent to BANNISTER PHONE 284411 PERTH
WIRELESS U/S PLEASE SEND FURTHER TRAFFIC WARBURTON REGARDS RIDE (CHARLIE 8WNX)
W.A. Border. Just before that saw a grove of blackboys also took [C7035] to the north.
Rebecca Creek. T.O. to Sandy Blight Junction, photo of white eucalypts [C7036] Giles Corner NOT 41 miles as per map BUT 31. To road down a track to camp at 714.4. Collected spiders. 52* F.
> 4th Sept (Friday) 1970
Camped some miles down a track to the east of the main track in an attempt to find a rock-hole marked approx 16 m. s. of Giles Corner on the map. These maps are difficult to me because of the lack of features. Must tell John Morgan.
Back on main track.
Northern edge of area excluded from Native Reserve (identified by "F.E.Govt" signs)
Photo of a new Mallee [C7101]
Blackstone Camp turnoff. Photo of a dead mulga and regenerating mulga is a situation that stock could not be involved. Mt. Aloysius in background [C7102]. Track joins far west along northern flank of range. T. O. to the Wingellina Camp. Wingellina Camp. Met John Smith and Mrs. Smith (camp manager), Dave Louth (Manager of Alice office of International Nickel), Cliff Hall. The men have all left preparatory for the total shut-down and John Smith expects to move out in a week or so. They invited us to use their hot showers (bliss) and took the opportunity to do a little washing as well. They gave us lunch and afterwards they all took us around the sites which were reported on by Crawford and Tomlinson.
S.A. Border nearest Mt. Davies [C7103]. Cleft in range making Irundju waterhole, this is part of the Papa myth. Crawford's site 1.[C7104-7]
Butler noticed grinding grooves in the rocks and immediately identified these as ochre grinding places for ceremonial - but I am suspicious because I find no ochre lumps at these sites.
Drove up the hill to Crawford's site 12 the place where the dog split in the hillside this is Njugali. Photographs [C7108-11] including a set of stones and sticks and leaves arranged on top of an adjacent rock. Flakes common around this site. Photo[C7112] of Aicotinium.
Arrived at the next site in the Papa myth (Crofonds site 3); the red sandhill where the puppies played. Njiguwalgu. This is a sticky isolated sandhill - quite out of place. International Nickel have fenced it and put up signs.
Drove on to Giani's claim. This is being worked by a group of whites Reg Hockley (manager) & wife, Des..., Norm ... who set up the ground with a bulldozer and then employ natives on piecework to pick up drums of chrysoprase or moss agate. Reg estimates that in a 10 day period a man can at the current rate of working about $20 and that he works about 6 hrs per day. This compares unfavorably with the International Nickel rate for natives of $61 per week (6 days ; 8 hrs day) or for casuals $55 which John says he has to reduce to $45 for late starting, etc. This should be looked into. The per drum rate is $10 for chrysoprase and $5 for moss agate.
Drove over Wingellina Hill where took photos of cave Njangalba, and hill with pyrics (pieces of magnesite) Ngangguna [C7118-21]. Some of the magnesite is clearly placed in position, one small cave had yellow ochre on the floor, the larger cave had ayle charcoal (Site 13). Also took photos [C7122,3] of the ruins of the place where the dingo bitch had been. This had been destroyed by rock hunters.
Back at camp took photos of Stran's instructions to employees re sacred sites [C7124]
Mining camp at Wingellina.
Main road to Blackstone, Giles, etc.
Blackstone turnoff - took it. Blackstone camp and mill. Seems deserted.
Camp on side of road, probably a couple of miles short of the Cavenagh Range turnoff.
Collected spiders and turned in. A very warm night - no wind.
One huge spider - very beautiful with very long striped legs and small body ; Red eyes, adpressed to a round boulder in a wash. Most memorable. Very few spiders of about 5 species. A mulga thicket in a creek with gravels.
> 5th Sept 1970 (Saturday)
Camped in a mulga flat on the side of the road. The site is a wash of black sand and boulders and has nothing to commend it except a total absence of bindiie! It is incredibly dead and no tracks around the camp.
Cavenagh Range track to south, stayed on main road.
Bilbring and Lightning rocks. The rockhole is completely dry. Looked over Bilbring, there has been no defacementof the pictographs since I was last here but tyremarks show that the rock at wayside is visited.[C7125,26]
Giles Tank still has a little water in it - very low in incredibly dry season. Main tank empty i.e. we have done 277 miles since Docker River on the main tank much of it at 50-60 mph. Tank on roadside: mill and tank.
Warburton Mission. There had been a message over our fuel and they will only let us have 20 gals to fill the main tank. Very irritating because we counted on the extra to get us down to the sticknest rat locality. 3 girls at the hospital having trouble with severe cases (one a dehydrated baby). Hoped I was a medic, felt sorry for them.
They have had a very poor season about 150 points altogether although they say Cosmo "just down the road" (i.e. 300 miles away)had over 300. No wonder the rockholes are dry.
Native Welfare Reserve sign.
Deviated several times from the road search for the way into the Neale Jn. road without success. Finally found a good road 34.7 miles from Warburton Mission and went down it bearing approx 113*, and heading straight on the skyline for the Simpson Hill group of heights.
Left main road to go down the road , stopped at Hwy , collected a banded whiteface [Aphelocephala nigricinata].
A lovely patch of mallee sandplain between sandhills.
3 White crosses - probably a datum point for aerial photography.
Reluctantly decided to turn back ; too dangerous without wireless and not enough petrol to get us to Cosmo. Camped in the mallee sandplain seen before.
Harry shot a Tadarida australis [222] f. with much white, a white collar and two white patches on the lower thorax on either side extending to the red vertical line from the two round white stripes. Garlai(?) pouch very obvious , but tuft of hair and small all within the pouch. H. made a skin to show colour. H & B 88 mm., E.26, TV46, fuermn 60, HF 13, Wt. 34 g. body in spirit.
Collected spiders, not many around despite reasonably warm eveving, moths numerous while at Warburton we collected mail and telegrams, mail for me with news of family. Telegram:
1. 4.9.70. 10am.RIDE
JUST HEARD FITZGERALD HEARING PROBABLY WEDNESDAY SEPT 9TH. CAN YOU MAKE IT.
BANNISTER.
2. 4.9.70. 10.37 RIDE
THANKS FOR LETTER ALL GOING WELL LOVE MARGARET
3. 5.9.70 Perth RIDE
FITZGERALD HEARING NOW THOUGHT MORE LIKELY 14 SEPT 1970 BUT TO BE CONFIRMED.
BANNISTER WA MUSEUM.
SENT. RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH PASSED THROUGH WARBURTON SATURDAY WILL PHONE FROM LAVERTON MONDAY IF WE GET THERE TELL BANNISTER LOVE DEE.
> 6th Sept 1970 (Sunday)
Camp in mallee in sandhills. We recorded this locality on the label of the Tadarida as approx 25 m. ENE of Winduldana Rock Hole approx 25 m. SSW of Warburton Mission. [C7129, 30] of eucalypts at the site.
Curved back at main road, airstrip across the road. Road curves away northwards towards Sutherland Range. - all these factorsa point towards the road we are on being Dick Huotham's road to Neale Junction.
Winduldarra Rock Hole . The rockhole is very similar to Gamba R...
more...
Author: Slack-Smith, Shirley M.
Call no: FN289
Year: 15/10/1976-03/11/1976]
Archives
more...
Fri. 15-X-76
Flew Perth -> Kununurra - MMA. ETD 11.59 pm. C. Bryce, B. Wilson, R. Johnstone, D. Kitchener, Dan Kitchener (father[?]), T. Duiker[?] (honourary), B. Hutchins, Tony Starke[?] (Nat. Parks), N. McKenzie ([upwards arrow pointing to Tony Starke]W), Athol Douglas, arrived 5.45 am.
Sat. 16-X-76
J. Chambal[?]-Gasper, J. Campell (on contract to MMA) already in Kununurra. Ron, Daryl and I went to Diversion Dam; C.B., B.R.W., Dan K., T.D., B.H. went to Lake Argyll. I collected dead land & FW molluscs from edge of lake. [Left Kununurra by plane] Arrived Mitchell Plateau mid afternoon, met by Mr & Mrs Street, Laurel Keller, Fred Wells, Mike Ellis, Laurie Smith, Dr. Lukocius[?] & Chris & Maurie from AMAX base. All new arrivals + WAM party drove to Warrender - Also Salem[?] & John Kithby[?] camped at Jump-up. Steets & party camped near Base Camp. Set up camp (14°34'05", 125°50'20") on S side of Walsh Point about mid way along from tip of point to mangroves. (Grid Ref 063874 Sheet 4068 Series R611 "Warrender")
Sun. 17-X-76
Barry Wilson & Ron went to Lawley River mangrove to find suitable site for Ron's camp.
FW [Fred Wells] CB [Clay Bryce] & SSS [Susan Slack-Smith] Port Warrender mangroves. [Sketch map of area. showing location of Stations] [loose page insert listing leftover food]. Stations about 100m apart, dug 0.5mx0.5mx0.5m - 0.125m3. Grey mud on top ± 35cm below which was blue grey anoxic mud, no live molluscs seen in sample area - some live crustaceans taken.
W4 - layer of dead shell at 0.5m depth.
W5 - decaying wood at 40cm & below.
live Telescopium seen besides & on spit of higher mud ( c small mangroves) rimming[?] between W4 & W5.
W1 Big bags 1 2 3
W2 " " 4 5 6
W3 " " 7 8 9
W4 " " 10 11 12
W5 " " 12 14 15
Then went to inner side of mangroves. Zone 1 (nearest landward edge). Small Bag (No 1) Ceriops tagal 2-6' mangal Small Bag (No 1) - no pneumatophores - no prop root - stem base expanded into buttresses - flowers & fruits - only males[?] seen - yellow green Cerithidia sp. (2-10') glued to stems by short section of outer lip, ie aperture not closed off - 0-2' above ground level larger mangrove (No 2) Rhizopora stylosa with fruit no flowers - prop roots - 10' - does not come to edge of mangal only about 10' from edge, dark green.
Mangal Small Bag No 3 Aricennia marina - pneumatophores - no prop roots - no fruits or flowers - grey green - 8'
Mangal Small Bag No 4 Aricennia marina - [?] same as (3) - more yellow green.
Mangal Small Bag No 5 Rhizophora stylosa - ? same as No 2 " fruit, large 15' dark green, Bracket fungus.
Mangal No 7. Ceriops tagal, fruits (bomb!) & flowers ? same as No 1., yellow green, buttress -> prop roots.
Mangal Small Bag No 10 Brugiera parvifolia, flowers - petals dropped, fruit developing, dark green, no props, no pneumatophores.
Collected dead Camaenids in leaf litter on slope above mangrove flat on W. side of end of mangroves. + 1 Westracystis cemented on to Camaenid shell.
left bags of mud on mud flat to collect later.
BRW & R Johnstone arrived back from Lawley River mangroves. J. Chambal Gasper & J Campbell & Lucy left for Surveyors Pool (with Andrew Chapman) & Laurie Smith stayed with us for night.
Monday 18/10/76
[Diary notes; Sorted mud samples. W5 - Small Bag 20. W4 - Small Bag 17. W2 - Small Bag 8 (not quite finished). Maurie brought back some Chamea sp. specimens - I ate one - v. strong oyster flavour.]
Tuesday 19-X-76
Sorted mud from Stn W3 (W3 Small Bag 11) moved into zone 1 of mangroves: W6 opposite W3.
W6 Small Bag 24: Ceriops tagal Mangrove species A: (Max size ca 9ft (31 m. hi[?])) 123 specimens (no pneum. (buttress roots)) counted in the 5m square.
Avicennia marina Small Bag 23: mangrove species B: 11 specimens (pneumat. (no buttress) (Max size ca 13 ft)) counted in the 5 m. square.
Small Bag 18: living snails from site. Cerithidea sp. from stems of trees, usually hanging by a mucus seal from the central part of the outer lip. Juvs usually in crevices of roots and stem base. Littorina scabra on leaves. Nerita lineata - 1 only.
Small Bag 6: Mangrove sp. C: Rhizophora stylosa 2 specimens counted in the 5m square. (no pneum.; no buttress; with prop roots). Lichen on them. Max size about 11 ft.
Small Bag 9 - dead molluscs, live crab, live sipunculids. hole 1/2x1/2m x 30cm.
W7 approx. opposite W4.
Small Bag 22: Ceriops Tagal Mangrove Sp. (= ? bag 24) 32 specimens counted in 5m square. Buttress roots; no props or pneumatophores. (NB. small ellorbiids from hollow trunk.) In this square there is a meandering gutter about 6-10" wide + 2-3" deep.
Telescopium in the gutter plus dead sells of Cerithidea occupied by hermit crabs - 1 with a spider.
Holes with roofed, nearly horizontal entrance tunnels, about 2" diam.
Molluscs in Small Bag 19. Molluscs from mangrove of same species (just outside square) in small bag 22 with mangrove specimen.
Found a mangrove stump- live tree - in which the base of the stem + the buttress roots was riddled with a Teredinid. Sample collected + put into bag 22 - it was a tree just outside the square. Chopped around inside the square and found that nearly all the larger trees (i.e. more 4" stem base diam.) contained teredinids. [Diary notes on return to camp].
W7 (cont)
05.mx0.5mx0.3m
Red species of Uca, small crab
Small Bag 0 & 25
lots of sipunculids, dead molluscs,
crab outside sample hole[?] ? female
Bag 16
(?Ostrea sp.) oysters on dead log outside W7 area + Neritina?
Found live ellobiids (approx. opposite (W of) W3 & W2) at upper edge of mangroves which grow adjacent to hill & supra mangrove flat. In this area around upper reaches of Port Warrender Bay the elevation seems to be slightly lower than on general supra mangrove flat and consequently wetter mangroves extend round this area ( supra mangrove flat is somewhat a misnomer - though not when elevation is considered). Ellobiids were near upper limit of these mangroves under litter (flood litter?) of sticks and leaves - often buried in soil (mud with larger grain size & more humus content) than mangrove flat mud on supra-mangal flat on mangrove zones proper) - 2 spp. E. aurisjudae ? Cassidula angulifera.
Wed 20-X-76
W8 opposite W2 in Zone 1 of Mangal.
A. Ceriops Tagal Mangrove sp. in small bag 12, 89 specimens in 25 sq m, maximum height about 7'. No pneumatophores? buttress stems.
B. Avicennia ? Mangrove sp. in small bag 13, 1 specimen about 11', no buttress or prop roots but pneumatophores. mud wetter than at W7. Molluscs in Small bag 14 including mytilid found between buttress roots of mangroves.
No sipunculids, few polychaetes. dead gastropods, no teredinids found.
W9
Approx. E of W5 in Zone 1 of mangal. 25 sq. m area over narrow drainage channel (2' wide 6-8" deep)
A Mangrove sp. in small bag 00, 2 specimens, max height 10', buttress roots (no juveniles, lichen on branches). Ceriops tagal.
B Mangrove sp. in small bag 15, 1 specimen about 16' high - no buttress or prop roots but pneumatophores present. (growing in drainage channels). Avicennia marina.
C Mangrove sp. in small bag 21, 6 specimens about[?] 2 large & [?] branched from prop roots (no buttress ? no pneumatophores), max height 15' largest growing near drainage channel. Rhizophora stylosa. photo No 1 on Ektachrome of Fred digging. Molluscs in small bag 000 - photo of CB & FW in Rhyzophora. Went back landward to Zone 2.
W10
Molluscs in bag 101.
(1) Mangrove species in bag 100, 109 specimens - max height 3', no buttresses - no prop roots, ? pneumatophores. Aegialites annulata.
(2) Mangrove species in bag 102, 65 specimens, Ceriops tagal, buttress roots, Max height 9'.
(3) Mangrove species in bag 103, Avicennia marina, 9 specimens, max height 18', no buttresses or prop roots, probably pneumatophores.
(4) Mangrove species in bag 104, 4 specimens, max height 10', Rhizophora stylosa, prop roots.
W11 in from W4
Bag 8/2 Mangrove species Ceriops tagal, 100 specimens, max height 7', buttressed.
Bag 19/2 Mangrove species Aegialites annulata, 24 specimens, max height 18 metres, branched low, new species.
Bag 9/2 Mangrove species Avicennia marina, 13 specimens, max height 14', pneumatophores.
Animals[?] in Bag 106.
21-X-76
Went to Surveyors Pool in morning collected dead Xanthomelon shells, dead Setobaudinia beside creek (eaten by mammals).
W12 in from W3.
Animals - bag 107.
A. Mangrove species Ceriops tagal, 59 specimens, bag 105 - buttressed, max height 9 feet.
B. Mangrove, 162 specimens, Aegialites annulata, maximum height 2 feet, bag 106, (branched form)
C. Mangrove species Avicennia marina, bag 108, 47 specimens (1 large tree, 15 feet high; 3 plants 2 1/2', & rest seedlings of about 10" in height) pneumatophores ?
D. Mangrove species Rhizophora stylosa, bag 109, 10 specimens, prop roots, max height 4 feet.
W13 in from W2.
Animals in bag 110.
A Mangrove sp. Ceriops tagal, bag 111, 216 specimens, max height 8 feet, buttress.
B Mangrove sp. Aegialites annulata, bag 112, 17 specimens, max height 2 1/2 feet, branched.
C Mangrove sp. Avicennia marina, bag 113, 9 specimens (4 trees), max height 20 feet, pneumatophores.
Some mud left unsorted - sorted next day
22-X-76
[Collecting in mangroves just west of camp in oyster zone, Fred and Clay went to Point to start rocky intertidal intersect]. All oysters seem to be Saccostrea commercialis [descriptions of oyster habit and morphology given]. At this time - about 6.30-7.00AM the oysters were being bored by two predatory muricids (specimens of predators & oysters with bore-holes taken) these oysters were in upper intertidal near HWL. [Further descriptions of oysters and predator ecology]. Within the oyster clumps were mytilids (2 spp) Isognomon (round species), a very few arcids, ?Perma[?] sp., nerities, a littorinid (Barbicium type). chitons ? 2 spp., polychaete worm, crab. Under rocks below boulders & in contact with mud were small live ellobiids ( ? Marinula type) & deal shell of a larger ellobiid. On rocks & in dead oyster shell were a few specimens of Enigmonia rosea. Small opisthobranch (? Pleurobranch) on surface of oyster clumps.
W14 in from W2.
1 specimen of Rhizophora stylosa, max height 50'. Onchidium, Nerites, Littorina scabra, no molluscs in mud, only 1 worm. bag. Littorinids up high not sampled.
W15 in from W14.
Molluscs & mangrove sample in bag 11/2. Littorina scabra, hermit crabs in dead Terebralia shells. 1 mangrove 20' thin pointed leaves smooth bark many thin pneumatophores - nerites under dehiscent bark, smooth bark Avicennia marina (large leaf), 2 mangroves 25' rounded thick leaves, ? pneumatophores & perhaps thick pneumatophores, large star[?] fruit - flaking bark. Sonneratia alba. Littorinids up high not sampled. Nerites under bark of Sonneratia, Enigmonia [under bark of Sonneratia].
W16 in from W15.
Beyond seaward edge of mangal - beyond mangrove trees, mud sloppy[?] - sink to hips (photo) - few pneumatophores extend out from Avicennia marina. Bag 115, no standard sampling nerites in it by mistake - belong to W15. This zone was devoid of trees but had some mangrove roots [?] pneumatophores (Avicennia ?) extending a short distance into it. This zone was abandoned as unworkable but previous zone of W15 was divided into two - the landward section where W15 was located + a zone right on the edge of the mangal where ellobiids & red opisthobranchs were common & tree diversity lower.
W17 back in from W17.
On very edge of mangal. Bag 116, 1 specimen Avicennia marina, 3', fine[?] pneumatophores. 1 specimen mangrove 18' large stubby pneumatophores, Sonneratia alba, soil sample excavated only to about 10 cm. Many neritas, Bembicium + littorina + mytilids (ribbed) under dehiscent bark - many littorinids up high in tree not sampled. [Summary of difficulty of work conditions given].
23-X-76
[Fred and Clay went to point to do rocky shore transect. SSS went to Bay to north-western corner to try and find Ostrea folium, couldn't find any].
Took Barry W. to show him area with many Telescopium - took photos of these & of red opisthobranchs. Collected dead shells on beach - collected live Murex (Naquetia?) permaestus on oysters & also on dead log. [ Descriptions of Murex specimen and of oysters (sp. not specified) in mangroves, 2 spp. of Onchidium seen and photographed - large on by BRW, small ones (grey and green) by SSS. Small beetles & spider taken from oyster clumps - plenty of red fly[?] seen].
W18; Rhizophora zone in from W3. 10 specimens of Rhizophora + 1 juvenile, max height 30 feet. Telescopium, Naquetia permaestus, neritas, littorinids.
W19; 1 specimen of Sonneratia alba, 25'. 1 mollusc, Nascriid[?], spider, crabs, Amphibolidae, Ellobiid, blue crab, littoriniids.
W20; 1 specimen of Sonneratia alba with 4 big branches coming off below mud level. 20 feet high. 2 other specimens of Sonneratia same height. 1 specimen of Avicennia marina, 18' high. Columbellids, Telescopium, Littorinids, Neritid, Amphibolidae, Ellobiid.
W21 (outermost from W4); 4 Avicennia marina, max height 25 feet. 1 Sonneratia alba, 20 feet. Columbellidae.
[Sketch map of sample locations, zones A-F, locations 1-26]
24-X-76, Sunday.
[Fred went to Point to do rocky shore transect and SSS went to collect & do oyster work. Description of oyster zone ecology and species given, summary of species observed/collected follow]
green sponges, many large Murex (varicosus[?] ? cervicornis ?), M. secunda, one dead & one living Hyotissa, no Saccostrea, a few number of nudibranchs - dark red-black & white - seemingly mating - a pink one laying eggs - little aeolids like those from Kendrew in patches, 2 urchins, one starfish, a few corals - some[?] diversity none abundant except for a Plesiastraea type.
Up from this zone was a zone of large barnacles - mostly dead & oysters - few of living & dead Saccostrea. Murex varicosus (found lower than main oyster zone), thaid shells containing hermit crabs. Up from this was a zone of abundant oysters - spiny when young - not strongly ribbed - S. commercialis. Chamids, Pearl oysters (P. albida ?) + Septifers occupied the crack & crevices & also attached between oysters. Arcids (3 spp.), Cardilids & tube worms, Haliotis varia & fissurellids (Tugali?), Trochids (Trochus lineatus? & Pantherides[?] sp. ?), columbellid, few reitids, occasional Onchidina[?], Polychaete worms (Nereids & Lepidonotus) were common among & under oysters. The only muricid common in this area was the purple mouthed drupe with rows of fine scales. Hermit crabs were common especially high in the oyster zone. Lepsiella, Bembicium.
Station W22; Rhyophora zone in from W4. 1 large tree Rhyzophora stylosa, 30' high, + roots from another 3 trees just outside area. 1 anemone not taken (too difficult), brown fiddlers c. red claw.
Station W23, out from W22 & W4 etc; 2 trees of Sonneratia, largest 25 feet high. Telescopium
Station W24, out from W5 on outer edge of mangal; 3 Avicennia trees - largest about 18' high, 1 Sonneratia tree, about 20' high.
[Notes on measuring sizes of zones F to B]
25-X-76
[Description of work done on Point Walsh for morning tide, summary of species observed/collected follows]. Area below green sponge zone exposed - red sponges instead & red gorgonians, some red sponges (leaf like from) had red nudibranchs eating them. Did not see as many nudibranchs or Murex varicosus as yesterday. Got a few Hyotissa, also Chlamys senatorius ?.
[Description of work on oysters, from the area south & westwards from the tip of Point Walsh, extensive description of thaid? "typical of the oyster zone" and a "large thaid seen yesterday" distribution and feeding habits, other species noted include; Isognomons, stripe drupe - like an Agnesia, no sign of Murex permaestus alive - only one dead shell].
Station W25, in Rhizophora zone opposite Station W5; 1 large Rhizophora tree & large branches of three others, 30', Murex permaestus.
Station W 26; 1 little white bivalve outside area. 2 Sonneratia trees, 18 feet.
This completes the works on the sectors.
26-X-76
[Description of work and collection done at at Walsh Point] tide was very low - below the green sponge layer to the red sponge zone. Collected Ovulids on pink & white & on red & yellow gorgonians. The most common species was a large white one - perhaps the same as the two colour form of gorgonian & a yellow-shelled species (one animal) on the pink & white gorgonians. Shore gorgonians were half exposed at low tide. Collected quite a few Hyotissa sp. specimens on boulders in green sponge zone. Examined oyster zoning N. of barge landing. Took photos (Ektachrome film) of oysters & predators from upper limits of oyster zone to lower limits. In upper area only large thaid was feeding though.
27-X-76
[Worked on oysters - inlet near camp at end of FW creek. Summary follows.]
Zone A; Stn 1W - vertical face, 20cm square (=400 sq cm): 16 dead oysters of 1cm diameter or more (<2cm). 59 living oysters of 1-2cm diameter, all flat & foliated except where crowded where they have foliaceous spines, numerous very small oysters -> 5mm diameter approx. 50% alive, rest not bored. No signs of boring in any dead oysters, no predators in this zone, no other molluscs in this zone.
Zone B; Stn 2W - vertical face, 400 sq cm - below Zone A, Stn 1W: 44 dead oysters 1-2cm diam., 4 dead oysters >2cm diam., 114 alive 1-2 cm, 0 alive >2cm, large number <1cm about >90% alive. No other molluscs, predators or anything else. Photo 31, colour Ektachrome at 0.45m.
Zone C; Stn 3W - vertical face, below Zone B Stn 2: 13 dead oysters 1-2cm diam., 18 dead oysters >2cm diam. (long dead), 70 oysters alive 1-2cm diam., 9 oysters alive >2cm diam.
Went to Malcolm Island with Maurie Marshall, Dan Kitchener, Clay, Fred & Barry - near to high tide. Oyster zone covered except for upper zone - similar to Point Walsh area with high spatfall of oysters & mussels (smooth - new species?) & high predation rate by Thaids. Chamas in shallow rock pools just below this level. The fauna look rich - species of shells on beach indicate a good (muddy) sand fauna - tellins[?], venerids, [?] etc. [Trip to Lawley Point to see aboriginal paintings on cave walls & roof, took photos, then returned to camp].
Continued oyster sampling.
Zone A-B, Stn 4W - horizontal face of boulder sheltered to NW by mangrove tree. B&W photo at 0.45m. 16 dead oysters about 1-2cm diam., 35 alive about 1-2 diam., numerous smaller ones about 60% alive. No other animals (molluscan) in area but small Barbicium (?) in crevices nearby.
Zone A, Oyster Station 5W: 44 dead oysters 1-2cm diam., 77 alive 1-2 diam., few other small oysters 50% alive. No other animals, no boring seen. B&W photo 0.45m.
Zone B, Oyster Station 6W: B&W photo 0.45m. 53 dead oysters 1-2cm diam., 5 dead >2cm diam., 81 alive 1-2cm diam., 6 alive >2cm diam., and 1 Monodonta labio. No sign of boring
REMEMBER some of dead oysters are long dead.
Zone C, Oyster Station 7W: B&W photo 0.45m. 0 dead oysters 1-2cm diam., 10 dead >2cm diam., 1 alive 1-2cm diam., 17 alive >2cm diam. Other molluscs; Isognomon ephippium -5, Mytelid, black ridged -3. green brown algae 2 sp. covers >50% of area. No boring.
28-X-76
Oyster Zone A, Stn 8W; in cove (bay) N of Pt. Warrender Bay on S side of bay on top (horizontal face) of large boulder above rocky coral reef >150/25cm2. Photo B&W 0.45m. No predators, large Chitons. All spat dead - all opathalate-bubiferous. Small smooth black mussel - not eaten (ie all alive). Bembicium, no large Thaids seen. [Other species noted, a large Saccostrea echinata, small specimens of echinata among commercialis, descriptions of both given. Collected a small leptonid, noted small smooth black mussel and ribbed mussel.]
[Collected in green sponge zone of Walsh Point - species noted include Murex (ramosis?). M. secunda (3 alive), aeolids, Xenia colonies, octopus, Decatopecten vexillum (?), echinata, commercialis, large Lithophaga. Collected land snails on N side of Walsh Point.]
Oyster Zone A: oyster juveniles v. abundant on sheltered faces of boulders & around bases of mangrove trees - appears to be 2 spp. Other species abundant. Monodonta - very abundant, Nerita lineata, pelorodonta ? orange col., no thaids or muricids. Littorina scabra common in trees as is Bembicium, but neritas not so common here.
29-X-76
[Examined and collected molluscs in mangroves in Zones E & F. Species observed/collected include; nerita, littorinids, Bembicium & mytilids under bark of Sonneratia trees. Additionally collected ellobiids, several unknown specimens described as similar to ellobiids, and Amplirhagada.]
28-X-76
[Continued description of activities on the 28th, worked west of Daryl's camp; collected land snails, Amplirhagada, no live Setobaudina taken, some Pleuropoma, Camaenids, oyster noted as "commonly settled on mangrove stems".]
30-X-76
[Abridged summary of work follows; Visited Site 8, oysters noted a very abundant, few predators, BRW found Placuna in bay near boat. Collected at Crystal Bay; collected FW snails, Gyraulus, Lymnaea in small pond left of small creek. Collected at Crystal Creek pool; Lymnaea, Thiariid, Xanthomelon, Amplirhagada, Setobaudinia & Torresitrachia among sandstone (Leopold) boulders. Visisted estuary, oysters noted as large and abundant, land snails noted; large & high domed Amplirhagada, small rhagada, Xanthomelon. Sampled at north corner of Walsh point; Nerita (undata?) above the oyster zone at HWL, Monodonta & Planaxis ranges over zone, Nerita with orange col. deck is abundant, on mangroves & on rocks; small barnacles, Littorina sp. (fine close ribs) & smooth mussel, collected fungus and dead Amplirhagada & Pleuropoma on slopes above beach. At top of oyster zone; Nerita (undata?), Planaxis, Monodonta, Nerita with orange coloured deck still abundant, but new Nerita - small mast[?] with red flash at centre of coloured deck is now abundant (some variation - must check for 2 spp.), Littorina sp. on rocks, crevices and on bases of mangrove (Ceriops), Acanthochiton sheltering under boulders, Isognomon ephippium clustered in crevices, oyster juveniles (1 or 2 spp.?) are on top of exposed rocks, & in sheltered portions (larger), ribbed mussels & Littorinas higher up on conglomerates & pitted dolerites.]
31-X-76
[Summary of locations visited and species noted follows. North side of Walsh Point; large oysters (echinata?), large limpets - Trochus lineatus. Malcolm Island; No adult oysters seen of W, S or E side of island. Sample[?] spatfall - photo E side of island B&W, (with tape) 0.45m. Acanthochiton, Isognomon ephippium, no predators seen here.]
30-X-76(cont.)
Predators - large thaid - not in large numbers & smaller black & white muricid - black purple with double pink white pre-sutural keel & single rib as well below shoulder on body whorl - hidden under rock.
Upper-midldle oyster zone; Monodonta, Nerita (undulata?), Nerita - orange col. plate & Nerita (red splash on col. plate) all still abundant. Large Thaid common - small muricid; black & white keeled in sheltered positions[?]. Turbo cidaris now common in sheltered positions & in areas of runoff. Cerithiids (2 spp.?) common in areas of runoff where there is a little muddy sand or rubble - some[?] with hermit crabs in them.
31-X-76(cont.)
Collected as many species as I could see - so did Fred. Barry collected mussels - 2 small smooth species (or[?] 1 half ribbed)m 1 small ribbed, one large pilose periostracum Septifer & one other commonly thrown up on beach.
1-XI-76
[Summary of locations visited and species observed collected follow]
9.40am: Inlet near camp; almost all of oyster zone out of water - down to area of mostly dead, all mangrove bases out of water by 1-2 gt.
9.45am: Boat Ramp on Walsh Point; all mangroves out of water by about 8', about 2 1/2 - 3' vertically. Mangroves south of north corner of Walsh point out by about 20'. North corner of Wash Point only Zone A out. Around N. corner of Walsh Point Zone A -> B out.
9.55am: McG 1, N corner of MacGregor Point; more[?] exposed - Zone A -> B out of water, mangroves 20' out (4'-5'!?).
Station McG 2, S. corner of MacGregor Pt; mangroves 30' away from water at about 10.10am (ie about 4'6" above water level). Zone A not much settlement of spat? No surviving oysters - good settlement mytilids - no survivors? algae 3-4'6" above water level. limpets 2 spp. large number of thaids in crevices (like Malcolm Island) & below stones above A (Typical of exposed Point conditions). Zone B 3'-> water level & [?] below stones in A, lots thaids. Zone C below water level & below stones in B, no large oysters. Small neritas - no red mark. No orange plate neritas, no oysters in mangroves. Photo 19 on B&W.
McG 3, Just around S. corner of MacGregor Point. Just N. of W. end of cliffs & vine thicket above & around Daryl's old camp, & with N corner of Walsh Point bearing SSE; Mangroves Aegiceras, Aegialites, Avicennia to within 20' of water (about 11am). Oysters on Aegiceras & Aegialites trunks most if not all dead (small juveniles & spat[?]). Photo looking SSW (High speed Ektachrome shot 1). Much better settlement of oysters than further N. but no large ones (>2cm) surviving. Photos HS Ektachrome 2, 3 & 4. Littorinids on Aegiceras tree from bottom in oyster zone A (B&W small form) up through top of oyster zone A to above oyster zone B (yellow form). No obvious settlement of smooth mytilid on rocks or trees - oysters more densely settled & cup shaped.
McG 4; Oyster Zone B->C out of water 11:30? parts shaded.
McG 5, Aegiceras, NNW of W end of (ie slightly N of NNW of) cliggs & thicket near Daryl's camp. - mangroves 20' from water, Zone C, 11.30? large oysters most dead. Zone B, large oysters most dead no mussels.
Zone A, much higher up mangrove trees. mussels abundant. Thaid low[?] in trees. Littorinids dark & fawn in oyster zone & occasionally on trunks walking above, yellow etc on trunks & leaves above attached.
Between McG5 & McG6; shoreline was sandy at base of gully (vine thicket) & then area of small rocks & slabs of conglomerate with mangroves well back 20-30' & small oysters c. very few in Zone C.
McG 6, Aegialites, Aegiceras, Avicennia & Rhizophora, NNW of W. end of vine thicket near Daryl's camp (ie: slightly S&W of last station); large boulders on beach (photo HS Ektachrome 5). Avicennia close to water ~10' & Rhizophora just around corner in bay - this area is just inside bay proper - shallow(?) muddy watter, lots of pneumataphore roots. Oysters do not go far up trunks of Avicennia as much, but are on rocks to reasonably high level with overhang on large boulders (see photo). Large oysters to top of Zone A like Pt Warrender Bay near Ca,p. Thaids & Murex permaestus. Ellobiids 2 spp. (including one specimen of spindle shaped white-transparent species found in mangal above supra-mangal mud flat in Pt Warrender Bay.)
McG 7, Rhizophora, Sonneratia, near head of bay on S side of MacGregor Point; small stream runs in from N-end of gravelly sand & mud beyond this ie. to W, mangal looks like that at N end of Pt Warrender Bay mangal on seaward edge, ie: lots of Rhyzophora C. large Sonneratia trees & Telescopium. Photo of Rhyzophora (Photo looking SE to Walsh Pt & Dryl's Camp). Sonneratia trees here & further to E are well settled with oysters. Photo of Sonneratia tree trunk. Watch for mytilids Ryenella. No thaids. Murex permaestus here.
Zone B; large Nerita from mangroves, small nerita, Monodonta, Trochis, large buccinid laying eggs Melongena.
Large accumulation of recently dead bivalves in pairs in small backwater & around sand-rubble spit just E of head of bay - perhaps they were exposed by low water springs.
2-X-76
Stopped LI. V Good settlement of oysters on Sonneratia branches & trunks.
...
more...
Showing results 1 - 8 of 8
Show results 1 - 8 of 8
Sort by:
Author
Show More...
Subject
Show More...
Format